


Yellow (Harry Styles)

by GuitarAngel



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-29 23:47:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 38,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12096078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuitarAngel/pseuds/GuitarAngel
Summary: Charlie and Harry grew up together with their two friends, Jenna and Jason. The four of them had always been together through thick and thin and although Charlie doesn't want to admit it she started to develop feelings for Harry. At a graduation party when they finished high school she confesses her feelings only for him to leave the next day for London and send her into a downward spiral. Years later Jenna and Jason get engaged and they choose Charlie and Harry as their Maid of Honor and Best Man. Feelings return and confessions are made, but will their love pull through?





	1. Chapter 1

"Jenna, you can't be serious." I say to my best friend as we sat in our favorite bakery where I used to work in high school.

"Please? He's not that bad and I know you don't really hate him." She says as she gave me a look.

"It's Harry though. It's not that I hate him. He's just annoying and makes an effort to embarrass me." I huff.

"So? You're perfectly capable of dishing it back out to him and I really want you to be my maid of honor. Jason can't just change his pick for Best Man. He already asked him."

I let out a deep breath and sighed, not really wanting to deal with him teasing me the whole time but I suppose I could suck it up and do this for her.

"Fine. I'll walk with him."

~.:o:.~

After a few more months of planning it was time for the rehearsal dinner and to say I was nervous would be an understatement. I hadn't seen Harry since a month after graduation. He took off for London as soon as he could and I would never admit how much it hurt me to see him go.

Growing up it was always Harry, Jason, Jenna, and me. We lived on the same block and spent every day together, causing trouble and enjoying ourselves on our time off from school or work. When we started hanging out I felt like the odd ball because the three of them were so outgoing and everyone loved them, but I was the shy girl who didn't really say much to new people.

I met Harry in kindergarten. As little boy he walked over to me as I sat alone coloring in the corner of the classroom. He watched me for a bit then told me he thought my picture was pretty and ever since then I kind of just stayed by him. He didn't seem to mind one bit though. He would take me over to play games with him and his friends, who I later became best friends with as well. Jenna and Jason.

Ever since that day he kind of took me under his wing and although he annoyed the hell out of me I knew he would always be there. He looked out for me if I was being picked on, yelling at the kids who pushed me over or tripped me. The only problem was that as we got older I started to develop stronger feelings for him, but of course I hid it behind sassy comments which he seemed to love because it became like a game to him to see how much he could push my buttons until I snapped. Hence the reason why I was dreading seeing him again for the rehearsal dinner.

"Charlie, have a drink. You look like you're going to pass out." Jenna teased as she handed me a glass of some sort of alcohol which I immediately drank half of.

"He's not dating anyone you know." She added with a smile.

"No... Even if I did tell him the truth there's no way he would go for a girl like me. I'm not his type." I shake my head then take another sip of the drink.

"I wouldn't be so sure. It seems to me that "his type" hasn't been working out very well for him lately." She smiled.

I just shook my head and didn't comment any further. Instead I looked towards the church doors as they opened, seeing him walk in looking gorgeous as ever. He had changed quite a bit since I last saw him. The once lanky bakery boy with wild hair was now a hot shot artist wearing skinny jeans and a yellow button up shirt with his long curly hair flowing over his shoulders. His tattoos peeked out from the opening at his chest and continued down his arms. He definitely was more muscular now as well.

"Stop staring, sweetheart, and give me a hug." He smirked at me.

This man will be the death of me.


	2. Chapter 2

"I wasn't staring." I mumbled, finishing off my drink and refusing to look at him again since my cheeks were the slightest shade of pink.

Where did Jenna go? I glance around seeing that she had abandoned me while I was practically eye fucking him. Traitor.

"You definitely were. Come on, Charls. I haven't seen you in so long." He complained as he held out his arms to me.

I roll my eyes but set the glass down anyway and give him a hug, immediately taking in his familiar scent and relaxing in his arms. I would be lying if I said I wasn't an emotional wreck since he left. Being in his arms again made me feel safe again and it calmed my mind which always seemed to be filled with what if's and I can'ts. After a moment we pulled back and he smiled down at me.

"So how have you been? You still doing photography?" He asked.

"Yep. I've been good I guess. Not really as exciting of a life as you have I'm sure. I mostly stay around the area to do small shoots here and there." I shrug slightly and mess with my necklace which he knew was a nervous habit of mine.

This necklace was the same one he had gotten me for a birthday present on my sixteenth. I hadn't taken it off or worn anything else other than this necklace because it was just special to me.

"You know if you want I could call around and get you more opportunities." He said.

"No. I don't want you to help me. I want to get there on my own." I shake my head.

"Alright. Just know that the offer is there." He smiled and put his arm around me. "You look hot by the way. Love the shoes." He teased, pointing to the converse that I wore with my jeans and sweater.

"Oh shut up. It's the rehearsal dinner. I'm not going to dress up for this." I huff. "Besides you used to wear converse all the time so you have no right to tease me about it."

"But I don't wear them anymore like you still do. So I think I should tease you." He smirked, poking my side which caused a small squeak/giggle to fall from my lips as I jumped away from him.

"Stop it. We're not doing this today. I don't want to start fighting when this is supposed to be about Jenna and Jason."

"Who said we would fight? I'm just messing around, love." He frowned a little, but quickly covered it up with a smirk. "But if you insist, your royal highness."

He walked over to say hi to Jenna and Jason, leaving me alone and annoyed at what he just said. I did miss him like crazy and I missed this playful banter we had, but I still got annoyed with him.

I got myself another drink then walked over to my friends as Harry got them laughing about something that I didn't get to hear. Knowing him it was probably something about me since my embarrassing stories were his favorite to tell.

"We were just telling Harry that you two will be walking together." Jenna told me.

"And I said you would probably trip and fall wearing heels." Harry chuckled.

"Funny. I wear heels more often than you think, Harry. I can walk just fine with them now." I said. "I just choose not to wear them unless I have to."

"Or you don't wear them because you can't." He smirked.

"This is exactly why I don't visit you when I'm in London. I'm so sick of this shit. Grow the fuck up, Harry." I snapped, walking away before he could say anything else.

Harry's POV  
I watched her storm off, a little shocked by her outburst. She usually had some witty comeback to my teasing, but she has never snapped at me like that before.

"What's up with her? Is there something I don't know about?" I asked Jenna and Jason.

I could tell there was something bothering her and she usually never acted like that unless something bad happened or if she was upset about something. She always tried to play it off, but I knew better. She could never hide her feelings from me because I knew her cues. Like how she messed with the necklace I got her when she was nervous or how her cheeks flushed when she was embarrassed about something.

"It's nothing bad, Harry. She just missed you... and she's still pissed that you left without saying goodbye. We all are. But her more than us." Jenna explained, causing me to frown.

"I..." I opened my mouth to respond, but I had nothing. I knew I was an asshole for just leaving but I was scared. That was the night I found out she loved me...


	3. Chapter 3

*Flashback*

"Charlie, I think you should stop drinking. You're going to regret this in the morning." I chuckled, watching her as she drunkly pouted at me.

I had finally convinced her to come to a party with me and she seemed to enjoy herself much more than either of us thought she would as soon as she got a few drinks in her.

"I don't care. I'm having fun and I can deal with the hangover tomorrow." She huffed as she grabbed my hands. "Now come dance with me."

She pulled me off the couch I had been sitting on, causing me to smile as she lead me over to the pool area of the house where most of the party goers were dancing. As soon as we found a good spot I pulled her close and danced with her, surprised by how well her body moved to the beat. She was usually far too shy to dance in front of anyone, but now she was going all out and I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it.

We ended up dancing for a while longer until her stomach got the better of her and she threw up in the bushes.

"Alright I think you've had enough. Let's get you home." I chuckled, hearing her groan in response.

I helped her out to my car and set her inside since she was too drunk to get in herself without falling. Since her parents were working late again I took her home and intended on staying the night with her to make sure she did alright with her first hangover. However after I got her up to her room and helped her brush her teeth she did something I never expected her to do.

"Harry..."

I looked up from pulling off her shoes, only to feel her lips on mine a second later. My eyes widened and as soon as she pulled away I quickly stood up.

"What? Is something wrong?" She asked with a frown.

"Charlie..." I started, feeling my heart racing in my chest.

This was something I had never experienced before, and although I didn't expect a kiss from her it still felt better than anything I had felt before.

"I can't... you're drunk and you don't know what you're doing." I said, stepping back as she stood up and came closer.

"But I do know what I'm doing. I've been wanting to kiss you for a long time." She admitted, shocking me even more with her words.

She kept walking forwards and I stepped back until I hit a wall, jumping slightly from the sudden contact. She finally had me pinned and I felt goosebumps on my skin the moment her hands touched my arms.

"Tell me you don't want to and I'll stop." She said as she slowly moved her hands up my arms until they were resting on my shoulders.

"I-I..." I stuttered, unable to form a proper sentence which had never happened to me before. I swallowed hard then looked down at her.

Instead of answering her I let my body take over as I grabbed her waist and spun us so she was now the one pinned against the wall. She gasped and I cut it off by pressing my lips to hers, kissing her hard as I allowed myself to enjoy this for a moment. Her hands made their way up into my hair, causing a small moan to fall from my lips.

My hands moved down to her thighs, gently tapping them to ask her to jump which she immediately responded to. I held her against the wall for a moment then carried her to the bed, laying her down as I yanked my shirt off then crashed my lips onto hers again. I knew this was a terrible idea, but at the moment my heart over powered my brain as I took in the sounds she made to my touch and how well she reacted.

The haze finally wore off as I laid beside her bare body, wrapping my arms around her as she snuggled in with her head resting on my chest. That's when the guilt started to kick in. She was drunk and I had just taken her virginity, something I knew that she would want to be special. I stared up at the ceiling as I waged an inner battle with myself, only looking away when I heard her soft voice say my name. I could tell she was half asleep already by the adorable way she said my name, but it was what followed it that crushed me.

"I love you."

*End Flashback*


	4. Chapter 4

Charlie's POV

I remembered waking up that morning feeling awful from the hangover, but also confused as to why I was naked in my bed and covered in love bites. It took me a little while to remember what happened, but it only came in bits and pieces. However, it was more than enough to realize what happened.

At first I was angry with myself for getting that drunk in the first place and allowing my first time to be half forgotten, but my thoughts were quickly broken when I realized Harry was gone and in his place was a note that simply said: I'm sorry.

Of course at that point my mind was going wild. Did he regret what happened last night? Why didn't he stay like he promised he would? What was he sorry for?

I never did find out what happened because when I went over to his parent's house to talk to him his mother told me that he just loaded up his car and moved to London. Hearing that absolutely crushed me and I just broke down crying right there on her doorstep. It was definitely embarrassing to cry to his mother without being able to tell her why I was so upset. I think she just assumed it was because he left without telling me and she allowed me to stay until I calmed down, but seeing pictures of him all over was too much so I just left.

I let out a deep sigh and closed my eyes as I sprawled out on the bench outside of the church, trying to relax in the sun but of course someone had to come over to cast a shadow over me.

"Hey, could you m-" I stopped when I saw who it was and just closed my eyes again. "What do you want, Harry?"

"I just want to talk, okay? Can I sit with you?" He asked.

I stayed there for a moment then finally gave in and sat up, allowing him to sit on the other side of the bench but I still kept a pretty good distance between us.

"I'm sorry I left... I was going to tell you that I was moving soon but then other things happened and I guess I kind of had to deal with some things." He said. "I know it's no excuse for what I did and I hope that some day you can forgive me for it, but I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

I kept my gaze on the ground in front of me as he spoke, tensing a little as he spoke of that night which should have been the best of my life but instead ended up being the worst.

"You could have called..." I say finally, fighting back the urge to cry. "I've spent the past three and a half years wondering what I did to make you just shut me out like that. You didn't return my calls... You were supposed to be my best friend, Harry. Yes, it was a drunken mistake which could have been forgotten, but you just disappeared. Jenna and Jason had each other, but I had no one." My voice broke slightly but I forced it back and quickly wiped my eyes. "A simple "I'm sorry" isn't going to fix that."

"I know it's not, and believe me I'm going to be making it up to you for a long time... just please don't cry." He reached up to wipe a tear from my cheek but I grabbed his hand and pushed it away.

"Let's just get these next few days over with for Jenna and Jason. Then you can just go back to your new life." I said coldly as I stood up and went back inside to do the rehearsals.

I touched up my makeup then took a deep breath, forcing a smile onto my face as I found my way back to the others. Jenna and Jason knew something was up but they chose not to say anything and instead just got to work with the rehearsals. I did as I was asked like a good friend and walked with Harry as we practiced where we should go and the order in which we were to walk down the aisle. We finally finish after an hour or so and while everyone else was getting ready to go have drinks together I just decided to go home to my apartment, not feeling like being around Harry any longer than I needed to.

The moment I got home I changed into Harry's sweater that I had stolen from him a long time ago and curled up in my bed until I fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Harry's POV

"Okay, what the hell did you do? Something obviously happened between you two that we don't know about so spill." Jenna demanded as soon as we got to the bar.

I order myself a couple shots and down them right away, sighing softly as she spoke.

"I slept with her." I mumbled.

"You what?" She raised her brow and leaned closer. "When?"

"The night of Andy's party. She got drunk and kissed me, so I kissed back and one thing led to another."

"Then you just left?! No wonder she's been so upset. You asshole!" 

Her hand came into contact with the back of my head and I jumped.

"Ow! What the fuck, Jenna?" I asked as I stared at her while rubbing the spot she hit.

Of course this only caused her to hit me again until Jason pulled her back.

"You need to fix it. She's been a fucking mess since you left and she tries to hide it but we know better. She hasn't even tried to go out and meet anyone and she buried herself in her work. She barely gets out of the house unless I drag her ass out. You did that to her and you need to make it right." She demanded.

"Look, I know I fucked up okay? I'm trying, but she refuses to actually talk to me."

"So make her talk. Or actually tell her how you feel, Harry." Jason said to me.

"What are y-" Jenna paused and looked between us while I kept my head down. "You love her don't you?" She finished.

"I knew the first time we spent a weekend camping together..." I said quietly as I messed with my glass, watching the liquid move around with the ice.

*Flashback*

"No, you put this pole through loop B then hook it onto the top." Charlie argued, pointing out the correct way to set up our tent as she held the instructions and left me to do the actual work.

"Would you put that down and just help me? It's not that hard to do without the stupid instructions." I argued, only getting a small groan and eye roll from her.

"I wouldn't need the instructions if you would just listen to me for once." She muttered as she set the instructions down then walked over to help me.

"You say that like you're always right." I said to her, subtly inserting the pole where she told me to which ended up being the correct one despite the fact that I had been arguing with her for ten minutes over putting it in a different slot.

"I am always right." She smiled sweetly, pulling the pole to her side so we could bend it up and hook it onto the corner.

We did the same with the other pole then finally laid the top piece over which was supposed to keep rain from seeping into the tent. I took over the task of hammering the stakes in and within a few minutes our tent was finally made and ready to be slept in.

"Took you two long enough." Jenna said as her and Jason sat in their camping chairs watching the whole scene play out while munching on some chips.

"You guys could have helped you know." Charlie huffed at our friends and crossed her arms.

"But that would be no fun." Jason chuckled, making her roll her eyes again and let out a small groan of annoyance.

I chuckle as she pouted and walked off to start finding some wood, finding it adorable when she made those cute angry faces of hers. She reminded me of a toddler sometimes, but I loved it.

I decided to follow her, helping her find some good branches for firewood as I hummed softly to myself. After a few minutes I realized she was humming along and I smiled to myself, pausing to just listen to her as she sang a couple of the words quietly to herself.

"Look at the stars, look how they shine for you..." 

Her soft voice lingered in my ears and made my heart flutter. That song was one of my favorites and it always reminded me of her.

"Harry? Earth to Harry. Are you in there?" Charlie asked as she snapped her fingers in front of my face to get me out of the daydream I was in.

"Huh?" I asked, a bit confused about what was going on.

"You just stopped and stared at me. It's weird." She furrowed her brows and I just shrugged. 

"Just spaced off I guess. I think this is enough. We should head back." I said as I picked up another branch then dragged them back to camp where we would chop them up with the ax.

We took a break to eat then relaxed a little before Jason convinced us to head down to the lake to swim for a bit. The girls changed in one tent while we changed in another and the moment I saw Charlie in her bikini I couldn't help but stare. Her body language told me that she wasn't too comfortable wearing it, but she had no reason to be because she was beautiful.

A few minutes later we were on the beach, us boys in the water while the girls were tanning on the beach chatting about girl things I guess.

"Harry, if you're going to stare you need to make it less obvious." Jason teased me.

"I'm not staring." I argued, splashing him for good measure which only made him laugh.

"You were staring. You're lucky she hasn't noticed yet." He chuckled and shook his head.

"I have a girlfriend, Jason." I reminded him.

"So? One that refused to come on the camping trip because she didn't want to get her freshly done nails dirty." He scoffed. "Janie is just a fling and you know it. You can barely stand the girl. Why not be with someone who knows you better than anyone and will actually enjoy doing things like this with you?"

"It's not that simple, Jason. She's Charlie and she acts like she can't stand to be around me half the time so there would be no point in trying to be with her when I already know that she's not going to like it. Besides, I like how things are right now and I don't want that to change." I shook my head and climbed up onto the dock to sit down for a bit. 

Jason ended up dropping the subject, thank god, but what he said really did get me thinking and I started to wonder what it would actually be like if we were together like he was with Jenna. Sure we bicker like crazy and get on each other's nerves, but that's what made our friendship fun. There was always a sort of competition between us to see who could annoy each other the most and I didn't feel like that would change much if we got together. The only difference would be that we could make out after every argument.

"Boys, come on. I'm hungry." Jenna called, causing us both to look over to see both the girls ready to leave.

"Guess that's our cue." Jason said as he got up and pat my shoulder before heading up to them.

I let out a deep sigh then followed close behind, not really saying much during the short walk up to our camp site.


	6. Chapter 6

*Still Flashback/Harry's POV*

"Charlie, love. Your marshmallow is on fire." I smirked, chuckling as she spazzed and quickly pulled it out then blew on it to put the fire out. Of course a pout made it's way onto her lips when she realized she charred her marshmallow for the second time.

"I hate camping." She muttered as she tossed the marshmallow into the fire next to the other one she burned just a few minutes ago.

"You're just not putting it in the right spot. Here." I grabbed her stick and put another marshmallow on it then knelt beside her chair, guiding her hands to place the marshmallow over the hot embers rather than the fire itself. "Now if you keep it here it'll cook slower, but it won't get burned as long as you keep turning it. It'll get all golden brown the way you like."

I finally look up at her after a moment of helping her turn the stick, finally realizing how close we were and the fact that my hands were on top of hers. We stared at each other for a few seconds until I cleared my throat and stood up, returning back to my seat.

"Thanks." She said softly as she watched the marshmallow intently to avoid looking at me or Jenna and Jason who were most likely grinning like usual every time something like that happened. I did the same and kept my eyes on her marshmallow as she slowly turned it until it got to a golden brown color, just how she loved it. I watched her face light up and a smile crept onto my lips as I returned my gaze to the fire.

~.:o:.~

Later that night we went to our tents, Jenna and Jason having gone to theirs much earlier than we did to do god knows what. After putting out the fire I got into the tent I was sharing with Charlie, seeing her curled up in her sleeping bag as she tried to sleep. I laid beside her, staring up at the ceiling of the tent for a little while until we heard certain noises coming from across the way at the other tent.

"I can't sleep with them going at it all night." Charlie groaned softly from beside me.

"You know we wouldn't even notice if we did the same thing." I smirked, laughing as her hand flew back to smack my chest. "I'm kidding, love. But I do have an idea. Come on."

I get up and grab a flashlight, turning it on before looking over at her after I got the tent door unzipped.

"Well come on then. Unless you want to stay here and listen to their moaning for who knows how long." I grinned, chuckling softly as she unzipped herself then followed me out.

The two of us walked down to the lake again and sat out on the dock, looking out at the water as the moon shined brightly down on it. I didn't even need the flashlight because it was so bright out. I take off my shoes then hang my feet over the edge so my feet were in the water which was thankfully still fairly warm from the sunny day we had. A smile made its way onto my face when I saw Charlie do the same, but she was a bit hesitant to stick her feet in due to the irrational fear of fish she had. I still have no idea how that came to be since she loved fishing and touching them when we were younger.

"Much more peaceful out here isn't it?" I asked her as I looked over at her.

"It is. You actually had a good idea for once." She teased, a soft smile forming on her face as well as she glanced over at me.

"Hey, I always have great ideas." I defended.

"Oh really? Like the time you tried to make a new dessert at the bakery and it exploded all over the oven?" She asked with a laugh.

"Okay, that was an accident and I had no idea that putting those things together would make it expand so much." I said, smiling as she laughed even more.

"Barbara was furious. I have never seen that woman so angry before. It was pretty funny to watch though." She giggled.

"Oh I bet it was just hilarious." I rolled my eyes playfully and reached down to flick some water at her.

"Hey, stop it." She squealed and splashed me back with her foot.

"Don't tempt me, woman." I warned her, only to see an evil smirk form on her lips.

The next thing I knew I was shoved off the dock into the water while she laughed hysterically, quickly pulling her feet up so I couldn't pull her in when I came up. However, I swam under the dock and quietly came up so she would think I was still under and I listened as her laughter slowly died down.

"Harry?" She called, grabbing the flashlight and looking around in the water for me. Her tone became a little more panicked as she called for me again and I heard her scramble to get up then a moment later she jumped in, grabbing the flashlight as she searched the water trying to look for me. It took her all of five seconds to turn around and see me under the bridge which made her scream and nearly drop the flashlight.

"Harry, you asshole! I thought you were drowning!" She yelled at me as she hit me in the arm with the flashlight.

"Ow. I'm sorry, okay? But you kind of did deserve it for pushing me in." I chuckled, only to get another hit from her.

"Alright give me the flashlight." I said as I moved towards her and grabbed it before she could hit me again. There was a small struggle and I finally got it away from her then set it up on the dock, pausing when I saw that her shirt and pants were sitting on the dock. I shine the flashlight back on her and smirk. "Did you seriously strip before saving me? That's ten seconds that could have been used to save me. Shame on you, Miss Gray." I teased.

"Shut up, Harry. I wasn't going to ruin my favorite outfit for you." She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest which was still covered by her pink bra. "Besides my phone was in my pocket."

"You're lucky I left mine up at the tent or else you would be done for." I chuckled and climbed out then decided to pull off my shirt and pants as well.

"What are you doing?" She asked, quickly looking away as I stripped down to my boxers.

"What? You did it. Might as well join you." He shrugged and jumped back in.

She rolled her eyes at me and I just smiled, subtly reaching my leg out to brush against hers which I knew would freak her out and it did. She jumped and immediately grabbed onto the dock.

"Something just touched me. If there's a fish over here I swear to god..." She tried grabbing the flashlight but I grabbed hold of her and pulled her over to me. 

"There are no fish over here. Don't worry. Just come here. I'll keep the scary fishies away from you." I said in a baby voice which made her glare at me. "Okay, I'm being serious here. Just stay on my back and I'll make sure they don't get to you. I pinky swear." 

I held up my pink to her and she stared at me for a moment then hooked her pinky with mine.

"You better." She mumbled as she allowed me to move her onto my back and she wrapped her arms around my neck, keeping her legs wrapped around my waist as we swam around for a bit. It was peaceful and I had to admit I liked having her close to me like this as we just talked about random things and enjoyed ourselves. Eventually we decided to get out and headed back up to the camp site, quickly changing our clothes. I let her change inside while I just changed outside the tent, but since Jenna and Jason were still going at it we decided to just grab our sleeping bags and headed back down to the dock. There was a nice patch of grass underneath next to it which made the perfect bed to sleep on. I laid down the extra blanket then laid down next to Charlie with our sleeping bags, looking up at the stars with her. It seemed a little quiet so I grabbed my phone and turned on some music for us to listen to while we laid there, slowly drifting off to sleep after a few minutes.

"Harry, I'm cold."

Her voice along with her finger poking my cheek woke me up and I sleepily looked over at her, simply unzipping my sleeping bag and holding it up for her. She fully unzipped hers and laid it over top of the one I was in then slipped into my sleeping bag beside me. She got situated in my arms and I sleepily placed a kiss on her forehead without thinking about it. I stayed awake for a while until she finally went to sleep, listening as the song switched in the background which I felt fit this situation perfectly. As I looked down at her sleeping face I realized right then that I was completely in love with her and it scared the hell out of me.

'Look at the stars... Look how they shine for you...'


	7. Chapter 7

*Still Harry's POV*

I sigh deeply and finish up my drink then set some money on the bar before standing up.

"Where are you going? I'm not done yelling at you." Jenna huffed as she watched me get up.

"I'm going over to Charlie's. Where's the spare key at?" I asked.

"She doesn't just have a spare running around, but I have one." She pulled it out of her purse and I kissed her cheek as a thank you then rushed off to get to her house.

When I arrived I quietly went inside, taking off my shoes and making my way down the hallway to her bedroom. I bite my lip gently and slowly open the door, seeing her curled up on the bed asleep. A small sigh fell from my lips when I got closer and saw tear stains on her cheeks. It broke my heart knowing that I caused these tears and I knew from my mum that she got pretty upset after I left as well. That was the longest scolding I've ever had from my mother and each Christmas when I came home she demanded that I go see her, but I couldn't face her after what I did. I almost even considered skipping the wedding to avoid seeing her but I already said yes to being best man before Jason even told me about Charlie. Though I should have expected it because Charlie was part of our little group of friends, too. 

I reach out to gently brush some hair out of her face, watching her sleep for a moment.

"I'm so sorry, Charlie... I'll make it up to you. I promise." I said softly, leaning down to kiss her cheek gently before I went into the living room to lay on her couch. 

Charlie's POV

I woke up around eight the next morning, shutting off my alarm before letting out a small sigh. Today would be stressful since it was the big day and I was responsible for making it go as smooth as possible for Jenna so she didn't have to worry about anything. My thoughts were broken, however, when I heard faint music coming from the kitchen and the smell of waffles. I furrow my eyebrows and grab the baseball bat I kept next to my bed then slowly walked out to the kitchen as I heard someone humming along to the music. My hands grip onto the bat and I quickly turn the corner just as the other person turned around, causing us both to scream. The moment I realized it was Harry I put the bat down and placed my hand over my rapidly beating heart.

"What the hell are you doing here? You about gave me a fucking heart attack." I breathed.

"Me? You're the one with a weapon. I came to make you breakfast." He said with a sheepish smile as he held up the plate of freshly made waffles.

"How did you- Jenna." I sighed, knowing she had to have given him the key I gave to her. "You're lucky I'm too hungry to care right now."

I took the plate from him then sat at the table, silently eating my waffles. I had skipped dinner last night so I was starving and ate them happily, though I wondered what he was really doing here. Probably trying to butter me up and get me to forgive him, but he would have to work a lot harder to get that far.

"I hope you don't plan on sticking around. I have a lot to do today." I said to him as he sat across from me.

"No, you don't. Jenna said you don't have to worry about anything except getting her dress to the church at two." He smiled.

"But there's still a lot of last minute things to do and I'm the maid of honor. I'm supposed to make sure everything is perfect for her." I frowned.

"She said she'll take care of it. Seriously, Charlie. Just relax and enjoy your morning of peace before the party." He chuckled.

I just huffed and shook my head, finishing up my food before sitting back to look at him.

"Why are you really here?" I asked him as I sat back on the chair and crossed my arms.

"I told you I was going to make it up to you... I plan on keeping that promise, even if it takes me the rest of my life." He said as he looked me in the eyes so I could see that he was telling the truth.

I had to admit that it made me feel a little better to know that he actually wanted to put effort into earning back my trust, even if it was just little things to start with. I simply nodded and took my dishes to the sink then started to wash them, but he quickly rushed over and grabbed my waist. My eyebrows furrow as he lifted me up and set me on the counter.

"You just sit there and look pretty. I made breakfast so I'll do the dishes." He said as he turned to do them himself.

I couldn't help but blush a little from his compliment, looking down at my lap for a moment until the heat on my cheeks went away. When I looked up at him I saw him dancing to the music playing on his phone, shaking his bum in a goofy way which made me laugh. He glanced back and smiled then danced over to me with a spatula as he sang into it, being completely dramatic and weird.

"Get away you freak." I laughed as he pulled me down to dance with him, the giggles never stopping as he sang loudly and obnoxiously. I finally gave in and danced with him for a little while until I noticed that it was nearly ten at that point.

"Shit. I have a hair appointment to get to in fifteen minutes. I have to go. Um, want to get lunch later?" I asked, surprised in myself for even asking him.

"Sure. Just let me know when and where to meet you." He smiled. "I'll make sure to lock up before I go."

I smiled back at him then quickly got ready and headed to the appointment, feeling a bit giddy about lunch which surprised me. Maybe forgiving him wouldn't take as long as I thought.


	8. Chapter 8

"So what have you been up to lately?" Harry asked as we sat in a booth at our favorite diner.

"Nothing really. Like I said before I do smaller photoshoots around town for like families and senior pictures, that sort of thing. I did a couple for this band in Manchester that's starting out which was pretty cool I guess. They have some good music and I go see their shows when they're close." I explained, taking a sip of my soda. "What about you? I heard your art really took off a few months ago."

"Yeah, it did. I'm actually in the process of opening up a gallery in New York at the moment." He smiled.

"Really? That's amazing, Harry. New York would be a great spot." I said to him, genuinely happy for him but at the same time I knew that he would have to spend some time there getting things situated how he wanted them. That also meant a lot of time away from here.

"Thanks. I'm heading over there next week if you want to come with." He said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Me? Go to New York? I don't know, Harry. I've never been out of england or on a plane for that matter." 

"Come on, Charlie. You have to learn to live a little. I know you've always wanted to go there and I can make time for us to explore the city. Besides I would be right there with you and I'll make sure nothing happens." He assured me as he reached over with his pinky held up.

I bite my lip and stare at him for a moment, wondering if I should go or not. My heart was screaming at me to say yes, but my head told me to say no because I couldn't completely trust him just yet.

"I'll think about it." I say finally just as our food was coming.

He sighed softly but nodded and pulled his hand back, thanking the waitress politely before taking a bite of one of his fries.

"Take your time... but know that I would really love to have you there with me." He said softly.

I just nodded and continued to eat my food as we changed the conversation to reminiscing about memories we've had together. 

"Remember that time we skipped school to go see Coldplay in London?" Harry asked with a smile on his face.

"Yeah. It was your birthday and I bought you tickets without realizing that it was on a school day." I laughed softly and shook my head.

"Our mums were pissed but it was definitely worth getting grounded for a month. It was one of the best days of my life."

"Mine too." I smiled shyly and looked away from his gaze as he smiled back at me.

*Flashback*

"I can't believe I spent two hundred on those tickets and we can't even go." I huffed as I walked down the hallway of the school with Harry.

"Who said we can't? Let's just go. Our show starts at one. We can still make it if we leave now." Harry said as he stopped to look at me.

"You mean skip school? Are you crazy? My parents will kill me." I said.

"Come on. Please? It's my birthday present and I really want to go." He pouted, holding onto my shoulders to make me stay put and look at him.

I let out a small sigh then finally give in.

"Fine."

~.:o:.~

A train ride and three hours later we arrived in London, taking a cab to the O2 Arena where the show was taking place. There were two shows today and we had the matinee tickets, front row I might add. I spent a very stressful thirty minutes on my computer to get these tickets and I would be damned if I let them go to waste. Not to mention the fact that it took me ages to save up for them. Seventeen year olds didn't really make that much at a bakery so it was a miracle that I managed to get enough for the two tickets on the exact date of Harry's eighteenth birthday.

We got to our seats after buying some food to eat before the show started, and I felt a little nervous about how my parents would take this but it would definitely be worth it.

"Hey, it'll be fine, love. I'll tell them that I dragged you with me and made you come to the show. By the way, thank you for this. These seats are incredible and I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am for this." Harry said happily.

I looked over at him and couldn't help but smile softly. Any punishment was worth seeing that smile on his face and the sparkle in his eyes. I leaned over and kissed his cheek gently, unable to help myself. He paused in mid bite and looked over at me, a little shocked by what I just did but smiled anyway as his cheeks flushed a little to match my own.

When the show finally started after the opening band played we both stood up and got up as close as we could to the stage, screaming as the lights went out and Coldplay came on stage. We sang our hearts out to every word and danced, enjoying every minute.

When I heard the intro to 'Yellow' start to play I smiled, excited to hear my favorite song being played live. I was too caught up in the music that I didn't see Harry shift to stand behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist as his chin rested on my shoulder. My cheeks flushed from the contact but I relaxed into him, placing my hands on his as we swayed while the music played.

"...Look at the stars. Look how they shine for you..."

I smiled, listening as Harry's soft voice sung the words into my ear. My focus remained on his voice instead of Chris Martin's and I closed my eyes, wishing I could just stay in this moment forever.

*End Flashback*

"We should do that again some time. Maybe we'll go see Ed Sheeran next time. I'll buy." Harry smiled.

"I think I would cry." I laugh softly and shake my head. "That would be fun though." 

I had to admit the thought of going to another concert with him like that was amazing. Before we could say anything else my alarm went off to remind me to get Jenna's dress to the church.

"Well, as much as I would love to stay and chat we have a wedding to get to." I said as I pulled out some money to pay, but of course Harry was already up at the counter paying for both of ours.

I playfully rolled my eyes and left the tip then walked out with him as we went our separate ways to get ready for the wedding.


	9. Chapter 9

Charlie's POV

"It's about time you show up." Jenna teased as I rushed in with her dress as well as my own.

"Hey, I'm only five minutes late. Your wedding isn't for another twenty five minutes. You have time." I said as I hung up her dress so she could get it on then quickly changed into mine.

Her mother and aunt were there so they helped her with the dress until I finished putting my own dress on, slipping on my heels before walking over to her as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"You look beautiful, Jenna." I smiled softly, feeling really happy for my friend. "And thanks for giving Harry my house key by the way. I about killed him this morning."

She laughed and looked over at me.

"You seem happy though so you can't be that mad at me." She grinned.

"Don't go there. Nothing happened. We just talked then had lunch. That's it." I said as I fixed my dress, trying to avoid eye contact with her because I knew she would be able to figure out that it wasn't as simple as that if she looked in my eyes.

"Is that so? Well at least you two are talking and not fighting at the moment. I would hate for two of my best friends to be in an argument during my wedding. It's supposed to be fun for everyone. Even you two." She smiled. 

We talked for a little while until just before it was time to start, then I walked out of the changing room to join the others in the wedding party as they chatted outside the doors of the main room. I spotted Harry instantly, silently thanking Jenna for suggesting that the groomsmen wear black button ups instead of white ones because he looked incredible in all black. My eyes scanned him over for a moment before I walked over.

"I'm surprised they managed to get you to button up all the way." I teased him to get his attention.

He turned to look at me, his eyes shamelessly looking me over.

"You look great, too, love." He chuckled and smiled. "I mean it though. You look beautiful."

My cheeks flushed slightly and I thanked him, but noticed that his tie was wrong so of course I stepped closer to redo it for him. I kept my focus on the task in front of me, not noticing that he was staring at me the whole time. Once it was finished I straightened his collar then finally looked up at him, finally realizing how close I was standing to him. If I had moved in a couple inches our noses would be touching. For a moment I thought back to how good his lips felt against mine all those years ago, but I was quickly snapped out of it when Jenna's mum walked by and let us know she was ready. I stepped back and grabbed my bouquet, glancing over at Harry who was already looking at me. I wondered if he was thinking about the same thing I was, but at the same time I wasn't sure if I wanted that to happen again after how it ended the last time.

The other bridesmaids and groomsmen started walking and when it was finally our turn I grabbed onto his outstretched arm then started following them down the aisle. It was a bit awkward for me to see everyone watching us so I focused on not tripping until we finally got to the altar. We were simply supposed to part ways, but of course he had to kiss my cheek before he let go of me which made my cheeks flush a little. I stepped up onto my place then looked over at Harry who shot a wink my way as a smirk made it's way onto his face. Before I could stop it a smile formed on my lips and I shook my head, looking over at the doors for a moment as the music for Jenna's arrival started. When I saw her turn the corner I turned my attention back to Jason, finding it more enjoyable to see the groom's reaction to his bride rather than watch the bride.

His face lit up and I could see his eyes start to shimmer as tears formed in them. I would be lying if I said it didn't make me feel a little emotional as well to see him like that. It was obvious that he truly loved her and that was all I could ever want for both of them. They deserved each other and they had always been together for as long as I can remember. It was no surprise that the two of them ended up together. It was just a matter of time.

Jenna finally got to the altar and the ceremony began, but I found myself glancing at Harry every once in a while instead of watching the couple in front of me. He seemed to have the same idea because we locked eyes a couple times, the two of us quickly looking away once we caught the other. We decided to pay attention during the vows, but halfway through I looked over at Harry once more to see him wipe away a tear from his cheek as he smiled at our friends. I smiled over at him, reminding myself to tease him about it later as they finally got to the ending.

"You may now kiss the bride."

We clapped and cheered as they kissed, smiling widely at the couple. When they finished I gave Jenna her bouquet then met up with Harry again to follow them down the aisle and outside where we were going to take the wedding photos.

"Was that a tear I saw, Mr. Styles?" I teased with a smirk as we finally got outside.

"What? Psh, no. Of course not. I'm manly and don't cry." He argued.

"Mhm." I smiled and shook my head. "I think it's sweet. Shows that you actually have a heart." 

"Ouch. That hurt." He pouted and placed his hand over his heart.

"Come on you two. We have some pictures to take." Jenna called to us.

"Come on, Haz." I grabbed his hand then pulled him over.


	10. Chapter 10

After the dinner and speeches I decided to get a drink at the bar, not really wanting to dance because it just wasn't my thing. Ever since the last party I went to with Harry I haven't really been to another one. They just bothered me and there wasn't really a point since I hated dancing in front of people anyway. So, instead of dancing around with everyone else I just found a nice empty table to sit at in the corner of the venue, sipping on my drink as I people watched for a while.

"You're kind of a party pooper you know that?"

I looked up to see Harry as he sat down next to me with a drink of his own in his hand and another that he sat down in front of me. Good thing he brought it because I had finished the one I had gotten earlier already without realizing it.

"I just don't like parties, that's all. Apart from the music. The music is good." I shrugged then looked over at him as I had a drink of whatever he brought me. It was actually pretty good and I drank a third of it before taking a break.

"If I go pick a good song will you dance with me? Just one dance? Please?" He asked, giving me the pouty face he knew I could never refuse.

I rolled my eyes then let out a small sigh.

"Fine. One dance then the rest of the night you better leave me the hell alone." I warned him.

"Deal." He grinned, finishing up his drink before walking over to the DJ.

While he requested the song I finished off the drink that he brought, mentally preparing myself as he walked over to drag me out onto the dance floor as the current song ended. Before I could ask what song he requested he pulled me close to him, wrapping one arm around my waist while the other held my hand in his own. The familiar intro to our mutually favorite song came on and I couldn't help but smile.

"It's been a while since I've heard this." I said as I put my hand on his shoulder then swayed with him to the music, resting my head on his shoulder for a moment. 

"I think the last time we actually danced to this song was prom night." He chuckled softly.

I smiled at the memory. That was the moment I knew I loved him...

*Flashback*

"Hey, Jenna. Guess who just got a date to prom." I said with a grin as I walked over and sat down next to her and the boys at our usual table in the lunch room.

"No way. Who asked you?" Jenna asked excitedly as she shifted her body to face mine.

"Joey Peters. He just asked me after English class." I said happily.

Joey was part of the football team and also quite the good looking guy so to be asked by him was a big deal. Honestly, to be asked at all was a win for me since no one usually asked me to prom and I ended up going on my own anyway and third wheeled with Jenna and Jason. However, my good mood was broken when I heard a scoff from across the table, My gaze immediately turned to Harry who shook his head at me.

"What? You shocked that I could get a date?" I asked him.

"Come on, Charlie. Joey Peters? The guy is a douche bag. You shouldn't be going with him." He said.

"He's not that bad, Harry. He's actually been pretty sweet to me all week and I already said yes. I'm not going to turn him down now just because you're jealous that I could actually get a date and you're still looking for one." I argued, not understanding why he was acting like this but it was really bothering me.

"He's just going to end up hurting you, Charlie." 

"That's it. I'm done here." I said as I stood up and headed towards the door.

"Fine, but when he breaks your heart don't come crying to me!" He called after me.

I ignored him and kept walking, even though part of me was a little scared that he was right...

After school I was stopped by Joey in the parking lot and since I knew Harry was watching I stepped closer to him just to piss off Harry even more. 

"Hey, I'll come get you at six on Friday, okay?" He said with a smile.

"Six is perfect. I'll see you then." I smiled and nodded.

"Great. See you later." He said as he walked off.

I walked over to Harry who usually gave me a ride home from school, simply giving him a smile as I got in the car. The whole ride home I could tell he was just furious, but I still had no idea why he was so pissed off about the whole thing. I'm a big girl and perfectly capable of handling myself. We parted ways without a single word said between us and it stayed that way until Friday night came around. I got all dressed up, slipping on the red dress I had picked out when Jenna and I shopped for dressed. Jenna helped me style my hair and put some makeup on me to actually make me look good for once. I wasn't a fan of makeup really so I rarely wore it, but now that I had it on I looked like a completely different person.

"You look hot, Charlie. Joey is going to be all over you." Jenna giggled.

I playfully rolled my eyes.

"It's a school dance, Jenna. Nothing is going to happen." I said as I fixed my hair then checked my phone to see if there was any messages from Joey yet since I told him to let me know when he was coming.

A few minutes later Harry and Jason pulled up in the convertible that Jason's dad was letting him use, Harry's date at his side as he sat in the back seat. I had to admit I was a little jealous by how close he was to her, but I pushed it out of my mind as we sat outside on the porch for a little while to wait for Joey. It was pretty close to the time the dance started and there was still no sign of him so I just decided to send everyone off while I waited for him.

"Charlie, are you sure? You could ride with us and he could meet us there." Jason said as he looked over at me.

"No, I'll just wait here. You guys go ahead. We'll be there in a bit." I smiled, hiding the fact that I was actually a little nervous that I had been stood up.

"Okay... Let me now when you're coming okay?" Jenna said as she gave me a quick hug then left with Jason.

I watched them get into the car and saw Harry glance over at me like he wanted to say something, but he never did and instead turned away as they drove off. I let out a small sigh and sent Joey another message asking where he was. It finally got to a point where I just called his parent's house phone until his mother picked up.

"Um hi, Mrs. Peters. It's Charlie Gray. I was wondering if Joey was home. He was supposed to pick me up an hour ago but he isn't here yet and I was wondering if-"

"Oh, honey. I'm sorry. He left a while ago with Stella." She interrupted.

"Oh... Thanks." I said, hanging up the phone as I felt my eyes water.

Harry was right. I never should have trusted him.


	11. Chapter 11

Harry's POV

"Jenna. Has Charlie called you yet?" I asked her.

We had been here for over an hour and I still hadn't seen her and none of us had heard from her. When she shook her head I just got this awful feeling and when I turned to look around I saw that I was right. My blood boiled when I saw him dancing up against his on and off again girlfriend, Stella. They had seemingly broken up, but now it was obvious that they got back together. Jenna saw where I was looking and immediately tried to stop me but I pushed passed her and stormed over to him, pulling him back to look at me.

"Where is Charlie?" I demanded, only getting a laugh from him.

"Charlie? I don't know. Like I care." He scoffed, turning back to Stella.

That's when I lost it. I yanked him around again then sent my fist flying into his face, the force of it nearly knocking him over.

"You son of a bitch!" I yelled as I tackled him, continuing to throw punches until a couple of the male teachers ran over to pull us apart. I shoved him away as I glared at Joey, wiping the blood away from my mouth since he managed to hit me a couple times in the jaw.

"Both of you get out of here and go home. I'll decide what to do with you two later." The principal said to us.

I didn't have to be told twice. I gladly walked out of the gym and started walking home since I didn't have a car to drive home. It was a good thing though because I needed to cool off. When I finally got to our block I looked over at Charlie's house, knowing that her parents were working late tonight and she was probably upset about what happened. Before I could even think about it I was walking up the stairs, taking the familiar path down the hallway to her room and opening the door. My heart broke when I saw her curled up on the bed in her dress that she looked so beautiful in, sniffles coming from her as she cried.

Charlie's POV

"Charlie?"

I didn't have to turn around to know who it was and I didn't bother to look either.

"Go away, Harry. I don't want to hear you gloat about how you were right and I was wrong. Just please go." I whimpered quietly, not wanting to hear the 'I told you so'. 

"I'm not going anywhere... It's not like I can go back anyway... I got kicked out and will probably be suspended for beating the shit out of Joey." 

My eyebrows furrow and I sit up to look over at him, frowning when I saw the bruise already forming on his jaw and a bit of blood coming from a split lip. Though it hurt to see him hurt like that I couldn't help but laugh a bit at the thought of him beating up Joey for what he did. I smiled softly and walked over to hug him tightly, feeling so much better as I felt his strong arms wrap around my waist.

"Thank you." I whispered, gently kissing his bruised jaw before pulling away. "Come on."

I take his hand and lead him downstairs to the kitchen where I grabbed an ice pack and wrapped it in a towel for him to hold against his jaw. I then took a wet rag and gently dabbed the blood from his lip as he sat before me on one of the stools.

"I never told you that you looked beautiful tonight..." He said softly after a moment, causing me to pause my movements and blush a little. "You still do." 

"I look like a raccoon, Harry." I laughed softly and looked down at my hands. His hand came up to lift my chin and he gently brushed away the tear and makeup stains on my cheeks, shaking his head slightly.

"A pretty hot raccoon." He said with a smile as I giggled from his comment and shook my head. "You now what? I think you owe me a dance. After all I did get suspended for you. Besides we're already dressed up and we can't let that dress of yours go to waste. Come on."

He grabbed my hand and I followed as he led me into the living room, letting go of my hand to move the coffee table out of the way so there was space in the middle of the room. I watched as he plugged his phone into the stereo then after a moment of tinkering around with it he finally got the music to play and I couldn't help but smile as the familiar song played through the speakers.

'Look at the stars... look how they shine for you...'

"May I have this dance?" He asked in an overly posh accent which made me laugh softly. I nod and take his hand as I placed my other on his shoulder with my fingers facing myself and my arm wrapped around his shoulder. His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me close to him as we started to sway to the music. My eyes close for a moment as I laid my head on his shoulder, wondering how I could ever live without him. He was always there for me no matter how much we fought and he stood up for me when I needed him to. He made me smile even when I thought it would be impossible, and as I listened to his smooth voice singing softly to me I knew right then and there that I was hopelessly in love with him.

*End Flashback*


	12. Chapter 12

Charlie's POV

"That was the night you beat the shit out of Joey Peters. I wish I could have seen it." I laugh softly and smile as I stayed close to him.

"Yeah, well, he deserved it for making my best friend cry." He said with a chuckle. "I think I had a lot more fun that night with you at the house though. We danced, ate junk food, made some brownies, then sat on our asses in our nice clothes and watched movies all night. It was perfect."

"Yeah, it was." I said softly, smiling until I remembered what happened shortly after that night when he took off. The song ended and I looked up at him, about to ask him why he left but I was interrupted when someone announced that they were going to cut the cake now. "We better get over there."

I pulled away from him then walked over to the group of people surrounding the cake table, leaving Harry standing where I left him as I watched the newlyweds cut their cake. I laughed softly as they shoved it in each other's faces. They were seriously perfect for each other and I felt so happy for them, though part of me was envious of the love they had and I wished I could have the same thing. 

The rest of the night ended up being quite a bit of fun after I got a couple more drinks in me. I danced with some of the groomsmen who were looking for someone to dance with and enjoyed myself, though when I was about to get one of them to get me another drink Harry stepped in and pulled me away from him. I pouted and reluctantly went with him, too drunk to fight back.

"Hey, I was getting somewhere with him." I huffed.

"You were getting nowhere, Charlie. Especially not with him." He said as he led me over to where Jenna and Jason were. "I'm taking her home. You two have fun alright?" 

"Good idea. Charlie, I love you, but you're so drunk." Jenna giggled as she looked at me. "Thank you so much for today. I'll call you tomorrow okay?"

I pouted a little, but nodded and gave her a hug.

"Have fun on your honeymoon." I said to them, giving Jason a hug as well before allowing Harry to drive me back home. On the way there I kept thinking about what happened the last time he drove me home drunk but frowned a little, knowing that it could never happen again. When we arrived at the apartment building he helped me up the stairs to my floor then I gave him my keys so he could get in, knowing that I definitely couldn't see straight enough to open the doors myself. As soon as he let us in he started to lead me to my room but I stopped him and shook my head.

"I can do it on my own. You can stay if you want, but you're not coming in my room again." I said as I pulled away from him then walked towards my room, shutting the door behind me. I let out a deep sigh then walked over to my closet, somehow managing to change into pajamas without any help. Once I finished I lie down in bed, sighing softly because I knew that I would be feeling awful in the morning but at least I wouldn't be in bed with my best friend. 

I dozed off for a while until halfway through the night when I woke up feeling the overwhelming urge to throw up, which sent me running for the bathroom. Harry must not have been sleeping or he just woke up because he was at my side a moment later, holding my hair for me and rubbing my back as I emptied my stomach into the toilet. When I finally finished I just leaned into him a bit, feeling absolutely miserable.

"Remind me to never drink again." I mumbled, closing my eyes and just feeling exhausted from the long day I had.

"I will, love. Come on. I'll get you back to bed." He said softly as he helped me up. I brushed my teeth and rinsed it out so my breath didn't smell like vomit anymore, then allowed him to take me back to my room and help me into bed. He left for a few minutes then came back with some water and Advil to help with the headache that was coming on.

"Thanks." I mumbled, taking the advil and drinking the water down to help with the hangover.

"Do you need anything else?" He asked as he grabbed the glass, intending on leaving but I grabbed his hand then looked up at him.

"Can you stay? Just until I fall asleep?" I asked softly.

He looked at me for a moment then nodded, setting the glass and lying down beside me. I cuddled into his chest and closed my eyes, having missed the feeling of him lying beside me like this.

"Why did you leave?" I asked after a long moment.

I heard him let out a small sigh and felt him gently play with my hair as he held me.

"I was scared... I realized what it could mean and I was scared of messing up and hurting you... but I guess I did that anyway." He said quietly. "If I could take it back I would. I don't regret that night, Charlie. I never have."

My eyes watered as I listened to him, feeling like a ton of weight was lifted off my shoulders now that I knew it wasn't my fault he left or something I did. It had been bothering me for a long time and now that I knew the truth I felt so much better. I sniffled a bit and hugged him tighter, my arms staying wrapped around his torso as I nuzzled my face into his neck.

"Thank you." I whispered, knowing he probably didn't understand why I was thanking him but I needed to anyway.

I felt his lips touch my forehead for a moment, my eyes closing as I finally relaxed and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

~.:o:.~

Harry's POV

I woke up before Charlie did the next morning and I watched her sleep for a little while, thinking about what happened last night. She seemed so relieved when I told her that I left because I was scared of messing up. Did she think it was her fault all this time? My heart ached at the thought and I carefully got up then went into the kitchen to make her some coffee, but had no idea how to work the stupid machine so I ended up just heading out to get some.

When I returned I saw her sitting up in the bed, looking like she was about to cry.

"I thought you left." She said quietly, her voice sounded so vulnerable and I immediately went over to hug her.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere. I was actually going to make you some coffee, but I couldn't figure out how to work your coffee machine so I just went out to get some. I would never leave you like that again. Ever." I assured her as I kissed her head, keeping her close until she was ready to pull away.

It took a little while but she finally pulled back and I noticed that she still seemed a bit upset.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Not really... I'm pissed at myself for making such a big deal out of this but I can't help it. Everyone always ends up leaving me. You left, Jenna and Jason are moving to Manchester next month, and my parents are never around for me." 

She looked down at her lap and I could tell she was fighting back tears. I frowned and lifted her chin, gently wiping a few stray tears away.

"You have me... and I'm not going anywhere." I promised her.

"But you are. You're going to New York for who knows how long and you live in London which is three hours away. I can't make that drive all the time." She said.

"So come with me. Come with me to New York and when we get back we'll find you a place in London. You've always wanted to get out of this town and make something of yourself. Now is your chance." I said as I held her hands in mine.

"I can't just up and leave, Harry. I have photoshoots scheduled with people here and I don't think I can do it on my own." She sniffled.

"You won't be alone, Charlie. You'll have me." I assured her. "Just think about it. If you don't decide to come to New York with me then you can come to London for a few days when I get back and see how you like it."

She looked at me for a moment as if she was trying to figure out if I was just saying things, but I was being completely honest. I wanted her there with me and the more time I spent with her the more I realized how much I missed her. There was always something missing in my life and it was coming home that made me realize that what I was missing was her.

"Just think about it. I leave tomorrow night and I'll be at my mums so if you decide to come with then go there. She also has my London address so you can get that from her if you want to wait until I'm back." I explained to her.

She nodded slightly and I felt relieved that she would at least consider it. I grabbed the coffee that I had set down on the nightstand then handed it to her.

"I hope you still like coffee with your sugar." I teased gently, getting a small laugh from her which made me happy.

"I do. Thank you." She said softly as she sipped on the drink.

"I don't have to be at my mums until noon so what do you want to do? You're welcome to come with by the way. My mum would love to see you." I said, only then realizing that my hand was still in hers but I made no effort to move it.

"I might take you up on that. Depending on how I feel by then." She said and I nodded.

"So lazy morning it is then." I said as I laid back on the bed with my head in her lap and her hand still in mine.

My eyes closed but I could feel her smile as she pulled her hand from mine to gently run her fingers through my hair. I hum softly in approval, loving the feeling of her nails gently moving over my scalp. It usually bothered me when other people touched my hair, but for some reason she did it a certain way that felt amazing.

"I missed you." I murmured after a moment, opening my eyes to look at her.

"I missed you, too, Haz."


	13. Chapter 13

Charlie's POV

I ended up going with Harry to his mum's house, smiling softly as she greeted me with open arms. Anne was always like a second mother to me and no matter what kind of fight Harry and I were in she was there for me when I needed it and I would forever be grateful to her for it. Especially after that night I ended up having a break down after Harry left.

"It's so great to see you again, Charlie. It's been too long." She said as she gave me a long hug.

"I just saw you last week at the bakery, Anne." I laughed softly.

"It's still too long. I'm still so used to seeing you every day. I'm glad you two are together again though. I told Harry to go visit you or I would ground him." She said, making me giggle.

"Mum. Stop." Harry groaned, obviously embarrassed by his mother but I found it adorable.

"Well he did so no grounding necessary." I laughed softly and walked in with him as she stepped back to let us in.

Over the next few hours we basically just caught up and I kind of fell into the background while Harry spoke with his mother for the most part. The feeling of his hand on my leg snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked over to see him still talking with Anne so it was obviously something that he wasn't even aware that he did. My cheeks flushed a little, but I made no effort to move his hand because the small touch gave me butterflies. Instead I decided to be a little brave and placed my hand over his which seemed to capture his attention because he paused from talking to glance at our hands then over at me.

"I'll go grab some snacks. You two want anything?" Anne asked, breaking us out of our stare.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks." I said politely, Harry saying the same.

Anne left and I glanced back down at our hands when I felt his move, fighting back a smile as he turned it over so our palms were together and intertwined our fingers. I saw him smile out of the corner of my eye and a moment later his lips were pressed to the side of my head, making me smile as well.

"Have you thought about my offer yet?" He asked.

"I have... I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet." I said honestly.

As much as I wanted to go with him I still had a job to do and I was supposed to house sit for Jenna and Jason while they were gone, too. 

"What's keeping you here? You can reschedule work stuff can't you? I mean you're your own boss." He asked with a pout.

"Jenna and Jason asked me to house sit for them. Plus I can't just reschedule some of these photoshoots for a couple weeks. Some of these people need their photos right away. Plus I have this policy that if I reschedule I give them a percent off their shoot charge which is less money for me." I explained.

"Okay, the house thing is something anyone can do. I'll ask around to find someone to take over. And as for the money thing, I'll pay for the money off for every shoot you have to reschedule." He said.

"Harry, you can't-"

"I can and I will. I really want you to come with me. Please?" He asked, grabbing my other hand as he looked me in the eyes.

I stared back at him for a long moment, waging an inner battle with myself. As much as I wanted to go I was still nervous about getting too close to him again out of fear of getting my heart broken once more. I opened my mouth to say no, but instead all that came out was a small sigh.

"Fine. I'll go." I said finally, giving in despite my brain telling me not to.

He smiled widely and went to kiss my cheek, though in his excitement he accidentally placed it on the corner of my mouth instead. We both paused as he pulled back, obviously feeling the small spark as the corners of our lips touched. He glanced down at my lips and started to lean in like he was going to properly kiss me, but of course someone had to interrupt. 

"I know you both said no but I brought some out anyway." Anne said, causing us both to immediately pull away from each other and act like nothing was about to happen.

"Thank you." I said to her politely. "Now that I look at these brownies I changed my mind."

I took one of the brownies and had a bite of it, deciding to eat so no questions would be asked because at this point my heart was still racing and I wasn't sure if I would be able to form proper a sentence. I glanced over at Harry who was already looking at me as if he was also confused about what just happened but equally affected by it. Once again Anne snapped us out of it as she talked to Harry once more about planning to visit the day the gallery opened in New York and I could tell he was excited about her being there. I smiled softly as I watched them talk for a little while until it was time for us to leave. After a long goodbye we drove back to my house in silence, heading inside once we got there.

"What time is the flight?" I asked finally.

"Um, we have to be there at five. I already booked your ticket." He said as he stared at me with his bottom lip between his teeth.

That sight alone was almosy enough to make me cave, but I forced myself to look away.

"We better get some sleep then. Good night." I said, going up to my room before he could say anything else.

I lean against the door and let out a deep breath, wondering what the hell I was getting myself in to. This could be a great decision or it could completely ruin things between me and Harry, which was something I was terrified of. After a moment of second guessing myself I decided to stick with my decision and just go for it. Things seemed different now and I hoped that it wasn't just me assuming things so I felt better. I packed up a bag to take to New York along with my camera then spent the next hour calling people who I had scheduled and figuring out a day to reschedule. Thankfully all of them were pretty nice about it and none of them got upset when I told them I was taking a last minute trip. Though I got the feeling that all of them secretly knew how antisocial and lonely I was so they were excited for me to get out of town for once in my life.

Once all of that was done I just went to bed, trying hard to go to sleep but I couldn't no matter how hard I tried. It only took minutes to realize that I couldn't sleep because something, or someone, was missing from the bed. I let out a small sigh and finally got myself up, walking down the hall to the spare room where Harry was already sleeping. He woke up a little as I shut the door and I didn't say anything as I slid myself under the blanket with him and cuddled into his chest.

"Don't say it." I mumbled as I felt his arms wrap around me followed by a chuckle vibrating his chest.

"I wasn't going to say anything, love." He murmured, simply kissing my forehead before he settled in contently.

I closed my eyes as I felt his hand gently drawing shapes on my shoulder, the soft touch immediately relaxing me and soon I was fast asleep.


	14. Chapter 14

"You look nervous." Harry said as we sat on the plane as it lined up on the runway.

"I'm not nervous." I argued.

"I'm just saying that it's okay if you ar-"

"I said, I'm not nervous. This may be my first plane ride, but I'm not nervous." I said firmly as I looked at him, though my grip on the seat told otherwise.

He chuckled and just smiled at me. 

"Sure you're not. My hand is here if you need it." He teased with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes and ignored him, trying my best to hide how afraid I actually was. Despite my best efforts the moment the plane took off down the runway and started to shake I panicked and grabbed his hand. 

"What's happening? Is that normal?" I asked nervously.

"Yes, love. It'll smooth out once we get in the air. Just relax." He said softly as he brought my hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on it.

I looked over at him, seeing him smiling softly back at me.

"Just look at me. It'll be over soon." He murmured.

I did exactly that, staring back at him and finding myself being lost in his eyes. Everything else around me faded away and I could barely even feel the shaking from the plane or when it transitioned to a smooth ride as soon as the wheels actually left the ground.

*Harry's POV*

I reached up to place my hand on her cheek, gently caressing her soft skin with my thumb as I stared into those bright blue eyes that I had come to adore. She was so beautiful even though she had no makeup on and her eyes were sleepy but that only made her look even more adorable. Before I could stop myself I leaned in, my lips barely brushing against hers before the flight attendant just had to walk over to personally let us know that it was okay to move around the plane now. I pulled back and thanked her, forcing a smile on my face to hide how annoyed I was that we were interrupted yet again. When I looked back at Charlie her cheeks were a little flushed and she was struggling to undo her belt, obviously flustered by the almost kiss.

A soft chuckle fell from my lips as I watched her for a moment then reached over and easily unbuckled it for her.

"You alright?" I asked her with a playful smile on my face.

"I'm fine. I just have to use the bathroom." She said as she got up and walked down the aisle to use the bathroom.

I smiled to myself then laid my seat back and closed my eyes, trying to get some sleep since it was still so early and we didn't get much sleep last night. After a few minutes I felt Charlie sit back down beside me, but still pretended to sleep. I fought back the urge to smile as she laid her head on my shoulder after a moment, obviously tired as well. Within a few minutes I felt her body relax against mine so I opened my eyes and shifted us so my back was against the wall with my body sitting a bit sideways in the seat. I pull her closer to me and wrap my arms around her as she laid her head on my chest, barely even waking up as I moved her and got comfortable. I kiss her forehead gently then close my eyes once more, drifting off to sleep as well.

~.:o:.~

*Charlie's POV*

I woke up a few minutes before the plane was supposed to land and it only took me a second to realize that I was snuggled into Harry. My gaze shifted up to his sleeping face as the almost kiss came into mind. Did he really try to kiss me? My eyebrows furrowed for a moment as I think about it, not realizing that I had started to trace the outline of his lips with my finger. It wasn't until he started to smile and kissed my finger that I snapped out of it. I immediately pull back completely and blushed as I sat up in my seat.

"What were you doing?" He asked with an amused smile on his sleepy, and very adorable, face.

"Nothing." I lied. "You had some food on your mouth."

"Mm. Is that so? You sure you weren't trying to kiss me?" He teased.

"What? No, of course not." I said, though my heart skipped a beat just thinking about it.

Thankfully he let it go and once the plane landed we got a cab to the hotel we were going to be staying at. It was definitely far nicer than any hotel I had been in but I had no objections and just let him handle everything while I followed behind.

"So I don't have to be at the gallery until three so we have some time if you want to look around New York. Maybe stop by Central Park?" He suggested, immediately catching my attention.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" I said excitedly as I grabbed my camera so I could take pictures then pulled him out of the room behind me.

After a quick car ride through the city we finally made it to central park and I smiled, immediately taking photos and just loving to finally be in the park that I had been wanting to take photos of for ages. Harry just followed me around, letting me take it in until we finally stopped to get some hot dogs at a stand then sat on a bench to eat them.

"I'm really glad you came with me." He said after a moment.

"Me too." I smiled softly, seeing him chuckle a bit. "What?"

"You got some ketchup... Here just let me." He said.

I watched as he reached over like he was going to wipe it off with his thumb, but instead he decided to surprise me by putting his hand on the back of my neck and pulling me a little closer as he leaned in and kissed it off the corner of my mouth. I froze and felt my heart beating faster as my eyes fluttered shut, his lips lingering there for a moment longer than needed before he finally pulled back.

"Got it." He murmured, simply smirking at me as he went back to eating his food while I just stared at him in shock.

This boy will be the death of me..


	15. Chapter 15

Harry's POV

I had to admit the sort of kiss was a bit much, but her reaction gave me a hint that she felt something for me as well. With the way things have been going between us lately I knew I had to take my chance and tell her how I really felt. I messed up last time by running away, but I was older now and ready to make that committment to her. 

We ended up leaving the park shortly after to get to my meeting and she decided to tag along instead of going back to the hotel. I made sure to text the curator to let him know that we were coming asked if he would cover the final piece of my collection so Charlie wouldn't see it. I wanted to wait until the night of the opening to show that to her so I could explain what it meant to me... to us. 

Thankfully he got the message so when we got there it was covered so Charlie wouldn't see it. She decided to wander around looking at the other pieces that were actually up on the walls and I watched her for a moment, smiling softly as she took obvious interest in each one. If only she knew the story behind each one...

Charlie's POV

I wandered around the gallery looking at all of the art pieces Harry had done and I was still in awe at the talent he had. When we were in highschool I noticed that he really took interest im drawing and I constantly saw him doodling on his papers or in his drawing book. There were even times when I caught him drawing me a few times, but I couldn't even get mad because of how amazing they were. It seemed like he perfected his style over the years and everything he did was just amazing.

I made my way over to the one at the back of the building, furrowing my eyebrows when I noticed that it was covered with a sheet. I went over to take a look at it, reaching for the sheet and getting a mere peek at the corner.

"Boo."

I jumped and turned to see Harry standing right behind me.

"Don't do that. You scared the hell out of me." I said as I hit his chest.

He chuckled and smiled.

"Sorry, but I had to stop you from seeing the main piece. It's a surprise. But other than that what do you think of think of the rest of it?" He asked.

"They're amazing, Harry. They really are. The colors you use in each piece work so well together. You've definitely come a long way." I smiled softly.

"Thank you. That really means a lot coming from you." He smiled, and I could swear his cheeks flushed a little. "Anyway I'm done here so we can go find you a dress to wear to the party tomorrow night."

"Wait, I have to dress up?" I asked as I raised a brow.

"Yes, you do. Now come on. I'll buy." He smiled and grabbed my hand then pulled me back outside.

Since we were pretty close to downtown we just walked and I couldn't help but think about the fact that he never let go of my hand once I fell into step with him. Instead he intertwined his fingers with mine to have a better grip as we walked. I found myself walking a little closer to him as the sidewalk became a little more crowded, but soon we found a shop that looked good so we went inside.

"I hate wearing dresses. You're lucky I can tolerate you." I said as I started to look around, hearing him chuckle behind me.

"You don't have to wear a dress, love. You can always just go naked." He smirked.

I turned around and hit his arm which only made him laugh.

"I'm kidding, love. You can wear pants if you want." He said.

"Well if I find a dress that I like I'll wear it. If not then I'll move on to pants and a nice top." I told him as we continued looking around.

We ended up going into a few shops and I tried on more dresses than I can count before I finally found one that I liked. It was a strapless white dress that went down to about mid thigh with a small slit up the right leg and another at the chest which I wasn't too happy about because it showed some side boob at the right angle, but I figured it wouldn't be too bad.

"Can I see it now?" I heard Harry complain from the seat outside the dressing room. He had insisted on seeing every single dress that I tried on and he told me that he loved all of them but I never felt right with any of them until this one. I sighed then finally stepped out to show him.

"What do you think? I mean I can get some black heels to go with it and I'll probably wear it again if I had something to wear it to." I said as I tugged up the top a bit before looking up at him.

"Wow..." He murmured, looking me up and down which made my cheeks flush. "That one is perfect. You look beautiful." He said softly.

My cheeks turned an even brighter shade of pink and I nodded slightly.

"Thanks... I think I'm going to get this one." I said as I looked at myself in the mirror for a moment longer as I tried to make my final decision.

Harry's POV

I couldn't help but stare the whole time she stood there trying to make her final decision. I knew she was incredibly beautiful but there was something about seeing her in a shorter strapless dress that drove me crazy. All I wanted to do was kiss those bare shoulders and hold her. Then I remembered that I was able to do that once. I finally had her in my arms back then and had kissed her... but I threw it all away when I let fear take over. 

"You okay?" 

Charlie's voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked up at her.

"Huh? Oh yeah. I'm fine. Just go get changed. You're getting the dress." I said to her, half expecting her to argue but to my surprise she just nodded and went back in to get changed.

She gave me the dress and I went to pay for it while she finished. We stayed out for another half hour or so finding the right shoes for her to wear before we finally went back to the hotel to relax for the rest of the day.


	16. Chapter 16

Charlie's POV

The next day I spent most of the morning in the hotel room by myself while Harry went to the gym then did some last minute touches at the gallery. Around lunch time I got bored so I just got dressed and went out to get some food then stopped by the gallery to bring him some. He was supposed to come back to eat with me, but he texted me saying that he was going to be a little longer than he thought so I thought I would just bring lunch to him.

The whole gallery had changed a lot since yesterday and all of the paintings were finally up but there was still a curtain over the final piece which he was apparently going to reveal later tonight at the opening. Everything looked fit for a cocktail party and the atmosphere was already amazing so I couldn't imagine what it would be like during the actual party with the lights shining on each piece.

"Charlie? What are you doing here?"

I looked over and smiled softly when I saw Harry walking over with some paint on his hands and a little bit on his face as well.

"I brought you some food. Why are you covered in paint?" I asked.

"Oh, one of the interns messed up one of the canvases so I had to fix it. That's why I had to stay. Thank you for bringing food though. I'm starving." He said as he took the food and immediately started to eat it as he went over to the curators desk to have a place to sit.

"I figured you would be too busy to eat and I didn't want you to get sick later." I said as I followed him over and sat on the desk. "This place works great by the way."

"Thanks. It turned out just how I wanted it." He smiled. "I might be here a little too late to go back and get dressed so would you be willing to bring my suit here an hour before the opening?" He asked.

"Of course." I smile softly. "You should really clean up that paint though. I'll find something to get it off."

I got off the desk then walked over to the bathroom to get a wet paper towel with soap and another without so I could clean the soap off. I walked back over to Harry and stood in front of him, having him look up at me as I started to gently wash the paint from his face. I was so focused on what I was doing that I didn't see his hands reach out to grab my legs, letting out a small squeak of surprise as he suddenly pulled me onto his lap so I was straddling him. My cheeks flush from the position we found ourselves in.

"What are you doing?" I asked, trying to hide my nerves but my voice shook a little.

"Nothing." He smiled sweetly, but his actions were anything but sweet. He leaned in closer and my breath caught in my throat as he placed a soft kiss right on my sweet spot which only he had ever been allowed to find. My heart rate picked up and I found myself gripping onto his shoulders as he gently nipped on the skin, but thankfully I managed to find the will power to push him back.

"I can't... I have to go. I'll bring your suit." I said as I got up then left before he could say anything.

Harry's POV

"Charlie, wait." I said, but of course she ignored me and left the building.

A deep sigh fell from my lips as I put my head in my hands and rubbed my face. I knew it was a bad idea to do that but I couldn't help myself. She was just being so sweet and adorable that I couldn't help but pull her in and kiss her sun kissed skin. I thought we were making progress but it was obvious that she was still afraid of trusting me like that again and it killed me knowing that it was my own damn fault that she was like this. 

I ended up only eating half the food she brought before giving the rest to the intern who had been sick since the accident happened with the painting despite how much I assured her that it was okay. She thankfully ate and I went back to work finishing up the mistake she made. They were lucky that they had my paints at a shop in town otherwise I would have had to scrap the piece all together.

It soon came time for Charlie ro bring my suit and I was almost nervous that she had flat out left and went back home, but a few minutes later she came walking through the door in her full outfit looking beautiful as ever. There was an awkward interaction between us as she handed over the suit and I took it then watched her go off to get a drink from the minibar. A small sigh fell from my lips and I reluctantly went into the bathroom to get ready. By the time I finished there were already a few people arriving and I grabbed myself a drink to calm my nerves. Unfortunately I was soon being asked questions by the art enthusiasts who came to see my work and was unable to talk to Charlie much, but eventually I was able to break away from them just before my speech and immediately went over to her as she was about to leave.

"Charlie, just wait. Please. Just stay until after the last one is revealed. It's really important." I begged as I grabbed her hand to keep her from moving.

"Harry, I-"

"Please?" I asked again.

She sighed then nodded and I kissed her cheek quickly before heading up onto the small stage that was set up next to the last piece that was just big enough for me to stand on. I took a deep breath before finally getting into the speech.

Charlie's POV

I stood at the back of the crowd as I watched him start his speech by thanking everyone for coming, but it was when he began to explain that each of the paintings told a piece of a story that my focus locked in on his words.

"-It's a story about love and heartbreak. Two kids meeting for the first time, becoming friends, then growing into something more. It's about breaking the heart of the one you love, and trying everything you can to fix it..." 

His gaze found mine as he said the word 'love' and I could feel it all sinking in. Now that I thought more about it I realized that each one of his paintings reminded me of a memory we shared together. A beautiful lake painting, an abstract that felt like heartache to me which must have represented the night he left.

"This is my story... The night I made love to her and she told me she loved me, but instead of telling her that I felt the same way I ran because I was scared that I would lose her in the end..."

The painting of a girl who was asleep came to mind as he said that and I knew that he must have done it shortly after I fell asleep that night.

"-and this final painting represents the night of my senior prom. The night that I left my girlfriend at the time to be with the one I truly loved instead... She looked so beautiful in that red dress and I never got the chance to tell her that..."

He pulled the curtain away and I saw a beautiful painting of a girl in a red dress that looked exactly like the one I had worn the night of prom. She was running towards the eiffel tower in Paris, a place I had always wanted to visit. Harry knew that.

I suddenly felt like I couldn't breathe and stepped outside into the rain that had started some time during the party. There was no way that he loved me.

"Charlie! Please wait." I heard him call before he grabbed onto my hand and turned me to face him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I know it was stupid for me to run from my feelings, but they haven't gone away and I'm ready now, Charlie. I just hope that you are. God, I just love you so damn much and I want to be with y-"

Before he could say anything else I cupped his cheeks and pulled his lips to mine in a passionate kiss which he immediately returned. His hands grabbed onto my waist and the next thing I knew my back was to the wall of the building and his hands were against the wall behind me as he blocked me in. The kiss was intense, but absolutely perfect because the rain was falling down on us and we had both talked about wanting a kiss in the rain when we were younger.

Harry was the first one to pull away and he looked down at me for a moment, bringing his hand to my cheek as he kissed me again but this time it was a softer kiss. I welcomed the gentle kiss and moved my hands down to his sides to pull his body against mine.

"Let's get out of here." He mumbled against my lips.

"But your party isn't over yet." I said, though I had no problem with leaving at all.

"I did everything I needed to do. Tony can take care of the rest." He said, referring to the curator.

I nodded slightly, allowing him to hail down a cab that took us back to the hotel. The whole ride we stole glances at each other, both of us itching to be alone at the moment. When we finally got to the hotel he paid for the ride then pulled me inside to the elevator where we thankfully got into an empty one.

The second the doors closed I was against the wall once more with his lips on my neck, kissing and sucking on my skin which caused soft moans to fall from my lips as I ran my fingers through his hair. He let out a hum of appreciation at the action and it wasn't until the doors opened that he pulled back, grabbing my hand once more as we rushed to our room.

Within seconds of opening the door our clothes were coming off and our lips were furiously moving together in sync. Before I could even process what was happening we were on the bed and he kissed my neck a little then pulled back, confusing me when he just stared at me.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Nothing... I just want to do this right this time. We have all the time in the world so let's take this slow. I want you to remember this and truly enjoy it." He said softly as he brushed some hair from my face.

"Okay.." I whispered, watching him lean down as he placed his lips on mine.

As he promised this one was much more gentle and meaningful, his hands gently caressing my body in such a simple yet pleasurable way.

I soon found myself in a state of absolute bliss as he finally placed one last kiss on my lips before rolling off me. Both of us took a moment to catch our breaths, letting everything sink in for a moment before he finally spoke up.

"I love you, Charlie."

I looked over to find him staring back at me with such love and honesty in his eyes. I couldn't help but lean over and kiss him one more time.

"I love you, too."


	17. Chapter 17

Charlie's POV  
I woke up the next morning to the faint sound of singing coming from the other room along with the smell of breakfast food, knowing right away that Harry had to have gotten breakfast for us. I smiled softly to myself as I thought about last night, feeling so relieved that he didn't run this time and he actually said he loved me first which I hoped meant he was as serious about this as I was. Last night was the moment I had been dreaming about for so long and now that it finally happened I felt so happy.

After laying in bed for a few minutes I decided to get up, finding his black dress shirt from last night and slipping it on before heading out to see what he was up to. The moment I saw him I nearly burst into giggles but managed to keep myself contained as I watched him dance around the table to the music playing on his phone while he got the table all set up for us. He shook his bum and did these weird moves which finally made me lose it as I let a giggle slip. He spun around and immediately blushed, smiling sheepishly as he stood there adorably.

"Oh, um... hi..." he said. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to know that you still can't dance." I teased with a smile as I walked over and wrapped my arms around his waist, feeling him do the same. "It was cute though."

He smiled and leaned down to place a soft kiss on my lips which I immediately returned. This all still seemed like a dream to me but even if it was I didn't want to wake up from it. We kissed for a long moment until we remembered the food and he pulled back.

"So um. I ordered a little bit of everything. I wasn't sure if you still liked the same things or not." He said as he turned to look at the food, keeping his arm around my waist.

"It looks great, Harry." I smile softly, kissing his cheek gently.

We sat down at the table together and he turned down the music so it wouldn't be completely silent as we ate at the small hotel table. There was a comfortable silence for a while, but after a moment I realized that he was just itching to ask me something so I finally stopped eating and looked at him.

"Just spit it out." I said.

"Willyougooutwithme?" He blurted so quickly that I could barely understand what he said.

"Will I what?" I asked in confusion.

He took a deep breath, seeming nervous which surprised me because he rarely got nervous.

"Will you um... Will you go out with me? Like.... on a date?" He asked slowly, his nerves obviously heard through his voice.

A smile broke onto my face as he said that, unable to help myself as I moved over onto his lap.

"I would love to go on a date with you, Harry. You don't have to be so nervous to ask me on a date." I laugh softly and kiss his cheek gently to help calm him.

"I know... its just... after all I did to you..." He started, but I cut him off by giving him a kiss on the lips.

"Don't... We're starting over now. I'll admit I will probably be a little clingy and scared of you leaving, but all I need from you is to be patient with me... because I don't think I can handle losing you a second time." I admitted quietly as I looked down at his swallow tattoos to avoid eye contact.

"I know... I will I promise. I'm not going anywhere." He said softly as he kissed my head and held me close. I cuddled into his chest for a long moment and nuzzled my face into his neck, feeling such relief as he said that but at the same time it wouldn't be the first time he broke a promise. "I understand that it's going to take a little while for you to completely trust me again and I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you."

I nodded slightly, not saying anything because I knew that I would probably get emotional if I did.

"Anyway, for the date you can dress comfortably. We're going to be doing something fun that involves a lot of standing and dancing around." He said with a smile. "And no, you're not getting any hints."

"I wasn't going to bother." I laughed softly and kissed his neck gently before turning back to my food. I pulled it over so I could stay on his lap as I ate and I even fed him a little as he constantly gave me kisses on the cheek or neck to make me smile. I couldn't even begin to explain how amazing it felt to finally be with him like this after dreaming about it for so long and I definitely didn't want it to end any time soon.

Harry's POV - Later that night

"Charlie, hurry up. We're going to be late." I called as I checked the time on my phone. I had planned this the moment I asked her to come with me to New York and I was glad it worked out because I had to pull a lot of strings to pull this off on such short notice.

"I'm coming. Calm down." She said as she stepped out of the bathroom looking as beautiful as ever even though she was just wearing skinny jeans, her black combat boots, a white tank top, and her black leather jacket over it. "Covering up love bites is a lot harder than it seems." She teased.

"Sorry." I chuckled and smirked, leaning down to give her a quick kiss. "Maybe you should stop enjoying them so much." I teased back as I tilted her head to the side to place a kiss just below her ear where I knew one of her sweet spots were.

A soft hum fell from her lips and I almost picked her up and carried her over to the bed right then, but I knew I had to control myself because she deserved a good night out. I had a lot to make up for and I wanted to show her that I truly wanted to be with her and it wasn't just about sex. Sure, while I was gone I had been with my fair share of women and only used them for fun but Charlie was different. While being in bed with her was absolutely incredible, I found myself wanting to see her smile and laugh instead of just sleeping with her.

"Come on. The car is waiting." I said softly as I grabbed her hand then led her down to the car. She followed close behind me, her fingers slipping between mine once we got settled into the car. It was such a simple action but the moment I felt her link her fingers with mine I felt butterflies in my stomach which was something I had never felt with any other girl before. 

"So, I suppose I won't be finding out what we're doing until we get there?" She asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Nope. Actually I need you to put this on." I said as I held up a blindfold, seeing her eyebrow raise which made me chuckle. "No, it's not a kinky thing. Just trust me."

"Hmm... Too bad. It could have been fun." She smirked, catching me off guard as she took the blindfold and put it on herself.

I swallowed hard as her more confident side came out for a moment, sending yet another urge into my body to just take her back to the room but I pushed it away.

"You know two can play at that game Miss Gray." I warned in a lower voice as I slid my hand up her thigh a bit, seeing her shift in her seat slightly.

"I never expected it to be a solo game Mister Styles." She replied, bringing her lip between her teeth which drove me crazy. Since the driver was distracted I turned her chin so she was looking at me, gently pulling her lip from her teeth with my thumb before leaning in and placing my lips on hers. I felt her kiss back immediately and I slid my tongue into her mouth, hearing her hum softly in approval but that only made me want to tease her even more so I pulled away from her mouth to kiss down her neck. I gently nipped at her skin and found every spot that I had left a mark on her the night before, doing the same thing to each one. Unfortunately we arrived at our destination before I could mess with her too much but I was a little glad at the same time because I could feel myself getting carried away.

"Alright. Hold onto my hand. I'll help you out." I said to her as I stepped out then helped her slide out of the car, taking her towards the building where I spoke with security right away to let them know that I called them earlier. They led us backstage down the long hallway and I finally took the blindfold off once we got to the door which would take us to the surprise.

"What is this, Harry? Where are we?" She asked in confusion.

"You'll see." I smirked and knocked on the door, hearing a familiar voice tell us to come in. I opened the door and led her in, seeing her gasp once she realized where we were and who was in front of us.

"You... How.... What?" She stuttered, staring at the one and only Chris Martin in complete shock as I gave him a quick hug and said hello.

"I did the album art for their last album and gave Chris some art for his house. Chris, this is my girlfriend, Charlie." I said as I looked at her, seeing her look at me in surprise when I said girlfriend but I chose to have that conversation with her later.

"Ah, so this is the one you brought to our show a few years ago." Chris smiled, going over to give the shocked girl a hug. I could tell she was about to cry which made me smile, glad that I could make her so happy. I wished she would have been there with me the first time I met him, but I suppose I would settle for this instead.

"I literally don't know what to say right now." Charlie said as she wiped her eyes with a small laugh. "This is so embarrassing."

"Don't worry about it, love. Harry was much more embarrassing when I met him the first time. He barely spoke a word to me." Chris teased, causing me to roll my eyes playfully.

"It's not every day one of your musical idols calls you up asking you to make the art for his album." I said to him as I wrapped an arm around Charlie, gently rubbing her side to calm her down.

We stayed and chatted for a little while until the opening band ended and it was time for us to take our seats.

"Well I have to get going. It was great meeting you." Chris said as he gave Charlie another hug then took a picture with her since we both knew she wanted one.

"It was great meeting you, too." She smiled widely.

We said our goodbyes and I walked out with Charlie, following the security guard up to our private box seats to the left of the stage. I could tell she was still amazed by what was happening and she didn't really say anything until we got some drinks and sat down in the seats.

"I just met Chris Martin..." She said.

"You did." I smiled.

"I just met Chris freaking Martin!" She exclaimed with a laugh before suddenly pulling me into a deep kiss. My eyes widened a bit at the sudden action but I quickly relaxed and returned the kiss, pulling her body closer to mine until she finally pulled away. "Thank you. I don't know how you managed to pull this off but it was amazing."

"I'd pull off anything if it meant seeing you this happy" I said softly as I brushed some hair out of her face. She smiled softly and kissed me once more, but this time it was much softer and loving.

"I would love to be your girlfriend, by the way." She murmured against my lips with a smile.

"I was going to ask you after the show, but I figured it would be better just to introduce you as my girlfriend anyway. This is only our first date, but I feel like we can skip the part where normal couples get together after dating a while. I've waited too damn long for this and I don't want to wait." I said.

"Me either." She smiled softly, giving me one last kiss until her attention was focused on the show that started. My focus, however, was on her for most of the show. Seeing her singing along and truly enjoying herself made me so happy and I wanted nothing more than to see her like this every day of my life.


	18. Chapter 18

Charlie's POV  
After the concert I decided to give Harry a better thank you than just a kiss which led to both of us rolling around in the bed for the next few hours. We slept in a little late, but I didn't mind one bit. For once I felt happy and didn't worry about what could happen in the future if things went wrong. I felt Harry stir behind me and smiled softly as I felt his lips on my bare shoulder.

"Morning." He murmured against my skin, leaving a few more kisses as he kept me close to him.

"Good morning. How did you- Harry!" I squealed and let out a giggle as I felt his hand slide down to pinch my bum.

"I slept great." He grinned, chuckling as he watched me roll onto my back to hide my bum from him but of course he took advantage of the fact that I was still naked from the night before and quickly got on top of me.

"You're so beautiful." He murmured, causing my cheeks to flush.

I grabbed hold of his necklace, pulling his lips down to mine as I kissed him softly. After a moment his lips trailed down to my neck and I closed my eyes, running my fingers through his hair as I enjoyed every touch and kiss he gave me. Each time I felt his skin come into contact with mine I felt my whole body tingle and I just couldn't get enough. 

The sound of a knock at the door broke us out of our little bubble and I groaned softly, having forgotten that I ordered food for us. 

"Sorry. I forgot I ordered food." I said as I looked at Harry who let out a small huff.

"You just had to get food didn't you?" He teased as he got up and pulled on some sweatpants.

"Shut up. I was hungry." I pouted as I pulled the sheet around my body so I could go into the bathroom to take a quick shower.

"Well I was hungry for something else, but I guess now we'll have to wait."

He slapped my bum as I walked past him which made me jump and squeak, earning a chuckle from him. I looked back at him with a smile before heading into the bathroom and getting in the shower. As expected, within a few minutes I felt his arms wrap around me from behind and he resumed his assault of kisses on my neck. I smiled softly and allowed him better access as I tilted my head for him, enjoying the moment with him.

"I wish we didn't have to go back home." I mumbled as I closed my eyes and relaxed in his arms.

"Me either... but don't think you're getting away from me just yet. We still have to move you to London." He said.

"We do... I'd like to have a nice little apartment. Hopefully something close by." I said, feeling him smile against my skin when I said that.

"I actually might know just the place. I'll call later to see if they have one open." He smiled and kissed my cheek. "But for now I need a little help with something that's been bothering me all morning that only you can help me with."

I playfully rolled my eyes and turned to face him.

"We better make it quick then. I don't want my food to get cold." I grinned, pulling him into a deep kiss.


	19. Chapter 19

Charlie's POV  
"That's the last of it." Jason said as he and Harry walked into my new apartment with the last two boxes in their hands.

"Now I just have to unpack everything." I sighed, not too excited about it but with Harry and our friends here to help it would go a little faster for me.

"We'll get it done, love. We'll go start on the kitchen stuff and the movies." Harry said, kissing my cheek before he and Jason walked off to unpack some of the other boxes while Jenna and I did the clothes.

"It's so odd seeing you two act like a couple now. I mean, I love it and we've been waiting for ages for you two to get together but it's so different not seeing you argue all the time." Jenna teased.

"I suppose it would be. It feels a bit weird to me, too, but it's nice." I blushed a bit and smiled.

I had spent a week in Harry's house while I looked for the perfect place of my own and it was amazing. Waking up next to him every morning and spending each day with him was something I had never thought I would be able to do, yet here I am.

"You should have just moved in with him. You'll probably be at his place or he'll be here anyway." Jenna laughed softly.

"I know, but I also want my own space so I can take a break if I have to. I don't want things to move too quickly... not with him." I shook my head slightly. "I just... I still feel nervous that this isn't going to work out and I'm going to lose him forever. There's no way I could handle that." 

Jenna sighed softly and walked over to give me a hug which definitely made me feel better. 

"Charlie, you two are meant to be together. I mean think about all the times you two have fought over the years. No matter how long you stopped talking you always found your way back to each other. Even if you do fight I think you'll end up coming back just like you always do." She assured me.

"Thanks, Jenna." I smiled softly and gave her another hug then went back to putting my clothes away. 

Eventually we finished and I ordered some pizza for all of us. We just sat around and talked for a while as we ate until Jenna and Jason finally went home.

"Well, you finally have your own place in London. How does it feel?" Harry asked with a smile.

"It feels great. I am going to miss sleeping with you though. Your bed is so comfy." I said as I cuddled into his side.

"It's useful for other things, too." He gave me a cheeky wink and I playfully rolled my eyes. "But you know we can finally break in your new bed."

Before I could say anything he lifted me up and put me over his shoulder, sending me into a fit of giggles as he carried me to the bedroom and tossed me onto the bed. I laughed and smiled widely up at him as he pulled off his shirt then crawled over top of me.

"I really am going to miss being with you at night, though." He pouted a little as he kissed my lips gently.

"I'm going to miss it, too, but we have to slow down a bit. We just got together two weeks ago. We can't be moving in together yet until we know for sure that we can function as a couple." I said as I played with his hair.

"I know. I know." He let out a dramatic sigh before lowering his body onto mine and nuzzling his face into my neck.

"That doesn't mean that we can't sleep over though." I said as I kissed his head, gently running my fingers through his hair which I knew calmed him.

He simply hummed in response and closed his eyes, relaxing into my arms as we laid there for a long moment. Before we could do anything we ended up just falling asleep, too exhausted from the long day of moving and unpacking. The next morning I woke up to Harry stepping out of the shower, a sight that I was still getting used to.

"You're staring, love." He teased with a smile as he walked over, wrapping a towel around his waist.

"Not staring. Admiring." I smiled, sitting up so I could give him a kiss.

"Well now that you're up do you want to go get breakfast?" He asked.

"Sure. I need to shower though. I would ask you to join but you already did so too bad." I smirked and pecked his lips before walking over to the bathroom.

Harry's POV

I still couldn't believe that she was finally mine. I had waited so long for this and now that I had her I regretted not telling her how I felt sooner. We could have been happy like this years ago if I had just stayed instead of running away from my feelings. 

"You're thinking too hard. You okay?" She asked, snapping me out of my thoughts as I looked over at her while we ate breakfast.

"Yeah. Just thinking about things is all." I smiled a bit and reached over to hold her hand. "By the way what do you want for your birthday? Its coming up next week."

"I don't know... I don't really need anything. Just being around you would be a great birthday. Especially since its been a couple years since I had you to celebrate it with." She said, causing a sting in my heart but I ignored it.

"Well I'll make sure that this one is the best birthday you've ever had." I promised with a soft smile.

I knew that she missed her parents and she would want them to be there along with our friends so I planned on calling them to see if they could come over for dinner. I also had another surprise for her that I knew she had been wanting ages for so I wanted to get her that for sure. She has been wanting a dog since we were kids and since her building allowed them I was all set. I just needed help figuring out what kind to get so I decided to hatch up a plan for the day before the party.

"What are you grinning at?" Charlie asked, snapping me out of my thoughts once more.

"Oh nothing. You'll find out soon." I smirked.

This was just one of the many ways I was going to make everything up to her.


	20. Chapter 20

Charlie's POV

Ever since that breakfast Harry had been acting pretty suspicious. He was on the phone a lot and would stop talking or leave when I entered the room. It was really bothering me that I didn't know what was going on and I knew that they weren't "business calls". He snuck off quite a bit too which got me really worried and my brain went to the worst possible outcome.

"You don't think he's cheating do you?" I asked Jenna, who had come to town to spend the day with me since she couldn't be here for my actual birthday tomorrow.

"What? Harry? Are you kidding me, Charlie? That boy loves you more than anything and he wouldn't do that to you." She frowned and shook her head. "He's probably just surprising you with something for your birthday. He's weird like that."

"I suppose you're right... I just don't like the secrecy. It makes me nervous." I sigh and pick at my ice cream.

"You're going to have to learn to trust him, Charlie. I know you've been through a lot and he's made mistakes, but you can't have a relationship without trust." She said.

"I know. I know. I'm trying." I sighed, seeing her check her phone as it beeped.

"We gotta go. Come on." She smiled and stood up.

"What about our movie date?" I asked.

"Trust me. This is way more fun." She smirked.

I raise a brow but follow her anyway, not sure what we were doing but we ended up at Harry's house.

Harry's POV

I told Jenna to bring Charlie back once we got everything settled and I couldn't help but feel excited. I had spent the past week calling around to shelters in town to see if they had puppies that we could bring to the house for Charlie to play with and I ended up getting fifteen together. Some of them were small and some bigger, but I knew she wouldn't care. She would be in puppy heaven. We blocked them into one room and I waited for them to get home with a couple of the shelter workers.

"Shit, she's here." I said excitedly as I went to meet her outside. "Hey, babe. You're going to have to close your eyes."

"Why?" She furrows her eyebrows but I just smile.

"Trust me." I tell her.

She was confused but closed her eyes and let me lead her into the house. I pick her up so I could lift her over the gate that was across the doorway, chuckling as she squeaked in surprise and gripped onto me.

"Harry, what are you-" She immediately stopped talking when she heard a yip of one of the puppies. "Is that?"

"Open your eyes, love." 

I set her down and smiled widely as she gasped at the sight of the puppies running over to greet her.

"You get three whole hours with all of these puppies." I told her, watching her full on start crying as she sat down and let them jump on her. Within seconds she was laying back laughing as they licked and jumped on her.

"You did good, Harry." Jenna laughed softly and smiled as she got in as well to play with them as well. Jason had helped me put all of it together today so he was here as well and the four of us played with the puppies.

"Charlie, I have another surprise for you." I said as it came time to let them go. "One of these pups is your birthday present. You get to choose which one to take home. I know you want all of them but I think just one is a good start for now." I teased.

That sent her off on another crying spree and I noticed that she had taken a liking to a little black lab pup who was sleeping on her lap. It took her a little while but she finally chose the puppy in her lap. I smiled and gave the money to the shelter that he came from before helping them load up the others with Jason. I thanked them again then came back into the house, seeing Charlie hugging her new pup as happy tears fell down her cheeks.

"You happy?" I asked her, knowing she couldn't really talk.

She just nodded and set him down before standing up and hugging me tightly. I kiss her head, keeping her close to me until she calmed down.

"Happy birthday, my love." I murmured, smiling softly as she pulled back and kissed me. Of course I immediately returned it until the pup tugged on my pant leg. I chuckle and pick him up. "So. What are you going to call this little guy?" I asked her.

She sniffled and wiped her eyes then looked at him for a moment.

"He looks like a Max to me." She said.

"Max it is then." I smiled, chuckling as he barked and wagged his tail happily. "I'm going to clean up my floor quick then we'll go out and get him some stuff from the pet store."

She nodded and took the puppy from me, heading out to the car while I mopped up the floors quick since the pups had had a few accidents during their time here. We spent the next couple hours pet shopping and got him everything he needed from a collar and leash to toys. Next we went to Charlie's apartment to get him used to being there and he finally just sprawled out on his bed, going right to sleep.

Charlie's POV  
"I can't believe you got me a dog... and I got to play with a bunch of puppies. My heart can't handle that much cuteness, Harry." I laughed softly as I looked up at him. 

"Well I know you've wanted one for ages so I thought why not get you one? Besides I know you were thinking about getting one anyway. I mean when we were apartment hunting the first thing you asked is if pets were allowed." I chuckled.

"That's true. I pass by the pet store a lot and I always have to go in and see the puppies. You won't believe how many times I almost walked out with one." I laughed softly. "But now I won't have to go in to get my puppy fix anymore."

"No, you won't. I just hope that you won't forget about me now that you have him." He pouted.

I smiled softly and moved to straddle his lap.

"I could never forget about you." I promised as I kissed his lips gently. "I love you, Harry. So much more than you'll ever know."

"I love you, too." He smiled, looking at me for a moment before bringing his lips back to mine.


	21. Chapter 21

Charlie's POV

It had been a few months now since I got my puppy and he was growing pretty quickly, but definitely learning a lot. He followed me everywhere and I just adored him. Though I could tell he sometimes made Harry jealous because I would give him more attention when Harry was over or if I was over at his place. Still, he was the best friend I could ask for and I was so grateful to Harry for getting him for me.

Things with Harry and I have been pretty amazing as well. I was always sleeping over at his place or he was at mine, neither of us really giving the other any time alone which I didn't really mind at all and if it bothered Harry he didn't act like it. He still worked on his paintings because it was his life, but he still gave me a few hours of his day no matter what.

"So, what do you want to do today?" I asked Max who tilted his head adorably then barked and wagged his tail. "You have no idea what I'm talking about do you?"

He barked again and I laughed softly.

"Talking to the dog again? If I didn't know any better I would think you're going crazy." Harry teased as he walked in with some breakfast and coffee for us.

"Oh, shut up. At least he's not a plant." I shot back, teasing Harry about his habit of talking to his plants when he watered them at home.

"Hey, it helps them grow big and strong when they have positive interaction." He defended as he gave me my breakfast. 

"Whatever you say, Haz. At least my pet can respond back." I teased with a giggle as I took out the breakfast roll and started to eat. He just chuckled and shook his head.

"You're so annoying." He shook his head and sipped on his coffee.

"I love you, too." I coo as I lean over to kiss his cheek. "I have to work today but you can come with if you want."

"Well I haven't seen you work in a while so it should be fun." He smiled.

After getting ready we went off to the location of the photoshoot which was out in the streets of London. I hand landed a brand magazine deal which was pretty big for me.

"Shit I didn't realise there would be so many hot girls here." Harry joked when he saw the models who were getting their makeup touched up.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed his face, pulling him into a deep kiss.

"Now they know you're taken, and if I catch you flirting with one of them no more sex for you." I pat his cheek then head over to get set up and listen to the owner of the brand to get a sense of what she wanted exactly.

Harry's POV

I watched her closely as she worked, seeing how focused she became the moment the shoot started. She was so passionate about it and I loved seeing her do something she was so amazing at.

Even though it had only been a couple months since we started dating I knew that I was ready to marry this girl. She was everything I wanted and more, nothing like the other girls I was with who just gave me a temporary fix. I had already bought a ring, but for the time being I was waiting until she was ready and dropped subtle questions about getting married to her every once in a while. For the most part she seemed to want to wait since she was getting more work nowadays and I definitely understood that. I had some more work to do myself and had to keep up two galleries on top of that. We were just top busy at the moment to add planning a wedding to everything, though at the same time eloping sounded so much better. Our parents would be furious with us, but it would be worth it.

When she finally finished the shoot I went over to her and cupped her cheeks, placing a soft kiss on her lips. She gave me a confused look when I pulled away and I just smiled at her.

"What was that for?" She asked.

"Just... I love you." I said softly, pecking her lips again.

"I love you, too." She smiled, leaning in for another kiss.

~.:o:.~

Christmas came sooner than I expected, but it was still an exciting time. The two of us were going home for the holidays and our families were holding christmas together since Charlie just had her parents and everyone got along anyway so it was going to be great. I was so excited to give Charlie my gift which was a trip to Jamaica, a place I knew she had always wanted to go. 

"Harry, did you pack the dog food? And his toys and his bed?" She asked as she rushed around the house.

"Yes, love." I said.

"What about the presents? Are you sure we have all of them?" She asked again.

"Yes, I'm sure. Babe, we have everything we need. Just calm down and relax." I said as I grabbed her cheeks and made her look at me. "The only thing left to put in the car is your suitcase which is right by the door. Take a deep breath."

She let in a deep breath and I smiled as she relaxed. I kiss her lips softly then pull away.

"Now lets go." I said, slapping her ass as she walked by which made her giggle.

I smiled to myself and packed up her suitcase then drove us back home to Holmes Chapel.


	22. Chapter 22

Charlie's POV

I smiled as we pulled onto the familiar street, seeing our two houses which were just a couple down from each other. My mind was immediately filled up with good memories that we shared from when we lived here and I couldn't wait to see our families again.

"You excited?" Harry asked me with a chuckle.

"Of course I am. I haven't been home in months or seen anyone from home. Jenna and Jason are going to be here, too." I said as I looked over at him with a smile.

"It'll be nice to see them again." He nodded.

I bit my lip gently then went inside once we pulled up to my parents' house where we were staying, bringing in Max and my suitcase. He immediately ran inside to greet my parents who were a bit surprised to see a dog with us.

"Sorry. I couldn't just leave him back home." I tell them and my dad shakes his head.

"I should have known it wouldn't be long before you got one. You only asked for a dog every day since you learned how to say it." He teased, pulling me into a hug which I immediately returned.

I give my mum a hug next and smile softly as Harry greeted my parents as well. It was really nice that they all got along because family was very important to me and it would have been awful having to choose between them and the love of my life. After unpacking upstairs in my old room we came back down and caught up with my parents for while until it was time for us to head over to Anne's for dinner. The three of us walked over, Max trailing beside me as since he refused to be left alone. When we walked in he immediately sniffed out the family cat, Dusty, who didn't seem too happy about a dog at first but Max just laid by her wagging his tail until she finally brushed against him and purred.

"How cute." I smile widely as I watched them. "Look, Harry, they're best friends already."

"I see, love. Maybe Dusty will finally stop being so grumpy now." He chuckled and wrapped his arms around me from behind.

"She's just grumpy with you because you always step on her tail." I said to him.

"Hey, by accident. Not on purpose." He pouted.

I smiled and kissed his pouted lips gently, which caused a small smile to form on them as he kissed back.

"She still hates you." I patted his cheek then walked off into the kitchen, leaving him to pout again.

I helped the other women with the food while Harry and our dads talked in the living room about who knows what. Normally he would be all for helping out with cooking, but there were already a lot of people in the kitchen so he didn't want to take up what little space we had left in there.

The dinner itself was great and we had some nice laughs between our families, sharing old memories and stories.... Most of which seemed to be about Harry and me from when we were kids. I had heard a lot already, but a couple were new to me and they put a smile on my face which only grew as Harry grabbed my hand under the table and kissed my cheek fondly. It was crazy how things had turned out for us. From best friends, to rivals, and now to lovers who were hopelessly in love. It was like a fairy tale and I still couldn't get over how lucky I was to be able to call him mine. He was just perfect in every way and even though we had our moments we still found a way to work through them before the day would end. We made a promise to each other to never go to bed angry at each other, and so far we were doing a pretty good job of doing just that.

"Jenna and Jason are going out skating at the river tomorrow. They asked if we wanted to come with." Harry said as we sat by the fire drinking some hot chocolate together while everyone else had gone to bed.

"Yeah, that sounds fun. I haven't been skating in a long time." I smiled softly and looked back at him. "You'll have to hold my hand though. I still suck at it."

"I was going to anyway. Just don't pull me down like you did last time." He teased.

"No promises... Besides, I do recall that you actually enjoyed it when I fell onto you last time." I teased back with a grin.

"Oh, I did. You landed in just the right position." He smirked, wiggling his brows which made me giggle.

"You're such a perv." I shook my head then took a sip of my hot chocolate.

"A perv that you still love." He murmured, placing a few gentle kisses on my neck. I smiled softly and closed my eyes, relaxing into his touch and tilting my head a little more for him. "Do you think we could get away with a round or two with your parents down the hall?"

"Only one way to find out." I smiled, setting my cup down before letting out a giggle as he scooped me up and carried me upstairs to my bedroom.

He locked the door behind him then tossed me onto the bed, causing another small giggle to fall from my lips. Within seconds he was shirtless and hovering over me with a soft smile on his face.

"What?" I asked as I looked up at him.

"I love you so much, Charlie." He said softly, causing my heart to melt.

"I love you, too." I murmured, gently cupping his cheek for a moment before pulling him in for a soft kiss.

Harry's POV

The next morning I woke up with Charlie still asleep in my arms as I spooned her, a position that I quickly realized that she loved when we first started dating. She liked being held with my leg draped over hers, almost laying on top of her to keep her in a safe little shell as she called it. I knew that she had abandonment issues that were partly because of me, so I made a point to hold her as much as possible. To never get annoyed with her when she was clingy, because I knew it made her feel better to be close to me and I liked it just as much as she did so it was no problem for me. I gently kiss her neck and shoulder, hearing a soft hum from her as she began to wake up.

"Good morning, my love." I murmured, kissing her cheek gently as a sleepy smile formed on her lips.

"Morning." She mumbled, pushing herself back into me a little bit more which automatically made me hold her a little tighter.

"It's finally Christmas. Are you ready to find out what I got you?" I smiled softly.

"Mhm... My present is going to be better though." She said. "Though I'll admit I am a little nervous about how you're going to react to it." She admitted as she glanced back at me.

"I'm sure I'll love it no matter what, baby." I assured her as I cupped her cheek, placing a soft kiss upon her lips.

We took a shower together when we finally got up, getting dressed and heading downstairs to open the gifts everyone got in Charlie's family. I had gotten her a gift for both families, the first one being a couple new camera lenses that she has been dying to get and I smiled at how excited she got. She gave me hers which was a personalized Packers jersey that had my last name and favorite number across the back.

"This is great, babe. I've been wanting to get one of these." I chuckled and smiled as I looked at the rest of the packers gear that she had packed into the small box.

We got a few things from her parents and I thanked them both, enjoying the morning with them until we headed over to my mums after lunch to open gifts there. This time I was a bit nervous about how she would react to taking a week off for the vacation, but I hoped I could talk her into it. I bit my lip as she opened up the envelope, seeing her gasp softly when she saw the tickets.

"Jamaica? Are you serious?" She asked me.

I smile softly and nod.

"We head back to London tomorrow to catch our flight." I told her, smiling as she gave me a kiss.

"I assume you already cleared my schedule for me." She teased.

"I sure did. Now you have no excuse to stay. My mum is even watching Max for us until we get back." I smiled, chuckling softly as she shook her head.

"You're so annoying." She mumbled.

"I love you, too." I cooed, pecking her lips. "So what is this big gift that you got me anyway?"

She bit down on her lip and I could tell she was nervous. She looked a bit pale, almost like she was about to throw up, but I gave her a reassuring squeeze on her hand.

"I just have to wait for my parents..." She said, hearing a doorbell just after she said that.

I furrowed my eyebrows as I watched her get the door, the two adults walking in looking just as confused as the rest of us. Before I could ask what was going on she placed a small box onto my lap and I opened it up, feeling everyone's eyes on me. The first thing I saw was another packers item, but when I pulled it out I saw that it was a baby onesie and the back said Baby Styles on it and my heart stopped. Everything finally clicked into place as I looked at the last item which was an ultrasound photo which had her name on the top corner under the patient name.

For the past few weeks she had been getting bouts of sickness, which she claimed happened to her a lot and she always had some excuse for it whether it be food poisoning or just that she didn't feel good. She had been eating a little more as well, always snacking on things which I just assumed meant she was on her period because she did eat more when it was that time of the month as well. But now this made complete sense and at first I was terrified, not sure if I was ready to be a father yet, but when her soft voice said my name and brought me out of my trance I felt tears fill my eyes.

"I'm gonna be a dad?" I choked out, meeting her own watery gaze.

She nodded and I set the box aside then stood up and immediately pulled her into a deep kiss, sniffling a bit as I pulled away and hugged her tightly.

"I'm gonna be a dad. Oh my god." I laughed, a wide smile making its way onto my face and I could feel the tension leave her body as she finally relaxed and choked out a small laugh of her own as she held me back just as tightly.

Our families were overjoyed with the news and we were showered with hugs and congratulations, both sides of the family excited for their first grand baby. I looked over at Charlie as she spoke with my mum, knowing right then that nothing else in this world could make me happier than being with her.


	23. Chapter 23

Charlie's POV

After all the excitement had faded we had dinner with everyone then went off on our own to meet with Jenna and Jason who were ice skating at a popular spot on the river. It had been a tradition in a way to go there every Christmas and I was glad that they came back into town this year to keep it going. I grabbed my skates out of the back of the car, glancing over at Harry who seemed nervous.

"Are you sure you should be out there skating? I mean... It would be bad for the baby if you fall right?" He asked, getting protective in a way I had never seen him before but it was cute in a way.

"I'll be fine, Harry. I promise. I'll go slow and I can hold your hand the whole time so you can catch me. I would never do anything to hurt our baby, you know that right?" I asked, not wanting him to think I would be so reckless when I'm carrying our child.

"No, no. Of course not. I didn't mean it like that. I just... I'm sorry. I'm a little nervous about it and I don't want anything to happen." He said as he gently put his hands on my stomach.

I smiled softly and placed my hands over his.

"I'm nervous, too, but I know how to skate. I wouldn't be getting out there if I didn't think I could stay safe." I said softly as I moved my hands up to cup his cheeks. "I love you." 

"I love you, too." He murmured, leaning in to place a soft kiss on my lips.

"Oi, lovebirds. Come on. We've been waiting for ages." Jason yelled from down by the water.

I playfully rolled my eyes and took Harry's hand.

"Come on." I said softly as I walked down to the area where people were coming on and off the ice. I sit on one of the benches that were brought out and slip on my skates, waiting for Harry to finish with his before I took his hand and started skating along side him. It definitely made me feel better to be out here with him by my side, knowing that accidents could happen even though I knew how to skate pretty well. We skated with Jason and Jenna, catching up and talking about old times. Everything was great until a younger teenager bumped into me and nearly knocked me over. Harry thankfully caught me and steadied me on my feet.

"Hey! Watch it you little asshole!" He yelled at the kid, holding me protectively in his arms.

"Woah, calm down, Harry. It was just an accident." Jenna said with a frown as they came to a stop beside us.

I kiss his cheek gently to calm him down and feel him relax a bit.

"Guys, there's something we need to tell you." I said once I got Harry calmed down, smiling softly as I looked at our two friends. "We're having a baby."

Jenna was the first to let out a squeal of happiness as she hugged me tightly.

"No way! Me too! That's why we asked you guys here! How far along are you?" She asked with a wide smile.

"Oh my god, really? Jenna!" I said as I hugged back just as tight. "I'm only six weeks at the moment."

"I'm almost ten. Our babies are going to be born around the same time. Oh my god. This is so amazing. They're going to be best friends. We'll have to plan play dates!" She squealed.

Harry's POV

My brows raised when Jenna told us she was pregnant as well and I chuckled as I looked at Jason.

"Damn. We both knocked up our girls around the same time. It's almost like we planned it." I joked as I gave him a hug. "Congratulations, mate."

"Yeah, you too. I honestly never thought you would get her pregnant so soon, but hey its a good thing you already got the you know what." He grinned, knowing I had it because he had come down to help me buy it.

"I know. I'm taking her on a trip tomorrow and I'm going to do it then. I was going to wait, but now I don't want to. I still can't believe we're going to be dads. This is insane." I said as I looked over at Jenna and Charlie who were all smiles as they talked about baby stuff.

"Yeah, it's crazy. I'm scared shitless, but happy at the same time. It's an odd feeling." Jason chuckled.

"Right? You'll be a great dad though, Jase. I don't think you have anything to worry about." I said as I pat his back.

"So will you." He smiled. "The only thing I worry about is later on in the pregnancy when she's hormonal and crabby as shit. She's already getting a bit crazy. You wouldn't believe how horny she gets now. I can't keep up."

"And that's a bad thing?" I joked with a grin. "Just remember that she's always right no matter what and you'll be fine."

"What are you boys talking about?" Charlie asked as she skated over to me.

"Nothing. Just dad stuff." I smiled and wrapped my arm around her as I leaned down to give her a soft kiss. "Come on, let's go skate some more then we can stop and get some hot chocolate." 

"You have no idea how badly I've been craving it." She said and I laughed softly.

"Well it's your lucky day then." 

I took her hand and smiled as we skated around for a while, just enjoying ourselves and having fun. Thankfully we didn't have anymore issues with young kids bumping into her because my outburst scared them off to a different part of the river further down. Eventually Charlie got impatient about the hot chocolate so we headed back to the car, stopping at a nearby diner which was open all hours to get our hot chocolate. We sit down in a booth and I wrap my arm around her, kissing her cheek gently.

"Do you want a boy or a girl?" She asked me out of the blue as she rubbed her stomach a bit.

"I kind of want a girl, but I would be happy with a boy as long as it's healthy." I said softly as I placed my hand over hers. "I can't wait until the baby starts to grow and kick. It's going to be amazing."

"Yeah amazing for you. I'll be the one with the back pain and getting kicked in the ribs all the time." She said as she poked my ribs to make a point.

I chuckled softly and smiled.

"Well I can give you back rubs and tell our little baby to be nice to her mummy." I said as I kissed her lips gently.

"That would be nice.. and sorry in advance if I start getting bitchy or cry a lot. Our mums were telling me that they both got pretty emotional when they were pregnant. I can only imagine how it's going to be for me. I'm already emotional."

"That's true, but I promise I'll do everything I can to keep you happy and to wipe your tears if you start crying. I'll thank you every day for going through that so you can bring our baby into this world until we finally get to hold her." I said softly, placing a soft kiss on her forehead as the hot chocolate was brought over.

"I love you." She whispered, smiling softly as she snuggled into my side.

"I love you, too.... Move in with me." I said to her, catching her by surprise. "You already practically live at my house and I have an extra room for a nursery. I have a big backyard for Max and the baby. Move in." 

A smile made its way across her lips and without a second of hesitation she kissed my lips.

"Okay."


	24. Chapter 24

Charlie's POV

The vacation ended up being incredible. I got to relax in the sun, make love to my boyfriend (now fiance) on multiple occasions, and spend new years at a festival which was a lot of fun. When we got back to London I got to work moving into Harry's house right away, getting help from our parents and some of Harry's friends. It didn't take much time to move everything and I was happy being in Harry's home which I had grown to love the more time I spent here. It was perfect for a family as well and I liked the privacy of the fences, especially now that he was getting more popular as an artist and people often wanted pictures of us for magazines. It only got worse when they found out I was pregnant a couple months later when I started to show more. I pretty much avoided going outside except to work, but even then I didn't go alone and always had one of my male friends or Harry there to protect me if need be.

Harry went to every appointment when we got back and it was amazing seeing the happiness on his face each month when we got an ultrasound to see the baby's growth. By the fifth month we discovered we were having a girl, which we were both overjoyed about, and Jenna was having a boy which made us happy as well. It made me think of Harry and I since our mums were such good friends growing up so we obviously became friends, so it was pretty obvious that our kids would be best friends as well. The moment Harry found out about the gender he began to shut himself in the nursery so he could paint it himself and make it special for our baby girl. Each time I tried to go in to see it he would kick me out because he didn't want me to inhale paint fumes, and as annoying as it was I still understood and decided to just wait until he finished. It ended up being incredible and I knew our baby would love seeing all of the colors and the birds, flowers, and butterflies that he painted on the walls for her.

On the seventh month I mostly just stayed home and only did a couple shoots here and there which I knew wouldn't be much of a hassle for me because she was getting pretty active now, plus the weight was making my back ache more than I would like. Harry came out from his paint shop above the garage and took a quick shower then came down to rub my back for me.

"How are you doing?" He asked me.

"Alright. She's a lot more active at the moment and keeps kicking my ribs." I said, rubbing my stomach a bit to try to calm her down.

"I'm sorry, love. Let me try." He said as he moved to kneel down in front of me, gently pushing my shirt up to kiss my stomach. "Settle down for mummy, little one. She needs her sleep so you can grow big enough to come out to us."

I smiled softly and played with his hair as he spoke to our daughter, something he did often. He sang to her and read stories to her every night before bed and it was the sweetest thing. Thankfully his approach seemed to help because she no longer moved or kicked, finally calming down.

"She must like your voice... I don't blame her. It's quite soothing to listen to." I tell him, smiling softly as he grinned up at me.

"I'm just glad she listens." He chuckled and stood up, placing a soft kiss on my lips. "We should probably choose our name now. We're stuck between the two and I still like Emma."

"I know you do, but I just feel like Rosalie would fit her better. Our little Rosie..." I said as I rubbed my stomach gently. "Maybe we should just wait until we see her. That way we'll know which name suits her better." 

"Alright. We can wait... but I'm still calling her Emma." He chuckled and placed a kiss on my forehead.

"Then I'm calling her Rosie." I said.

"She's going to come out being so confused." Harry chuckled and I hit him playfully then pulled him down so he could cuddle with me again. We relaxed for a while until I got a call from one of my interns at the camera shop I had opened a couple months ago, telling me he may have messed up one of the film photos. I sighed and hung up the phone.

"I have to run to the store. I'll be back in a few." I said as I gave him a kiss then pushed myself up.

"Do you want me to drive you?" He asked as he helped me stand.

"No, I'll be fine. It's not that far." I assured him as I put on my slippers then headed out to the garage.

When I arrived at the shop I saw that he had done the film shot completely wrong so the photos ended up being horrible. He was lucky that I could fix it otherwise we would have had some very pissed off customers.

"I'm so sorry, Charlie. I really didn't mean to." He said nervously.

"It's alright, Luke. I know you didn't mean to. It's actually Sara's fault for not being back here to supervise. You said she went home sick?" I asked him.

"Yeah. She threw up a lot in the bathroom. It was disgusting. All chunky and-"

"Alright. I don't need the visuals." I interrupted him, feeling myself get a bit nauseous just thinking about it. "You just go up front and I'll finish these okay?"

He nodded and rushed up front then I continued with the prints until they were all hung out to dry for the night. By the time I stepped out it was raining pretty hard so I let Harry know I was going to be heading home and he sent a message back for me to be careful. I definitely would be. I rushed out to the car and got in before I got too wet then carefully started the drive back to the house. It probably pissed people off that I was driving like a grandma, but I was always nervous being out in a car while pregnant because I knew how bad some drivers in this town could be and the rain only made it worse. When I got to the last stop light it turned red so I stopped like I should, carefully pulling out when it turned green. I just barely caught movement out of the corner of my eye and I glanced over just as a car hydroplaned and the next thing I knew everything went black.

Harry's POV

I checked my watch for what seemed like the fifth time, wondering where the hell Charlie was. She should have been home by now and it was making me nervous. I paced the room, looking down at Max who was just watching me from the couch.

"She probably just stopped to get some food or something. She's been craving a lot lately. She just got some food, right?" I asked him, hearing my phone ring a moment later. I immediately picked it up without even looking at who was calling. "Charlie? Where the hell are yo-"

"Is this Harry Styles?" A man's voice said over the phone which made me tense. I glanced at the number to see that it wasn't one I recognized.

"This is." I said as my voice got a bit shaky.

"This is Officer Shaw of the London Police Department. A Miss Charlie Gray was in a car accident and she is at the London General Hospital. You are listed as her emergency cont-"

I hung up before he could say anything else, running to get ready before I ran out to the car. I rushed to the hospital as fast as I could, calling her father on the way and he assured me that he would get my mother for me and be on their way. I ran inside when I finally made it to the hospital, just leaving my car parked in front of the building and not caring if it got towed. When I got to the ER I looked around frantically for her, knowing she was probably in one of the ER rooms to get looked at. I walked by the last room and froze when I saw her lying there motionless and soaking wet. Her skin was pale and her lips were blue which I knew she had to have been under water. I immediately thought of the bridge she would have had to go over to get to work and knew right then her car must have gone in.

"Charlie..." I choked out, hearing monitors beep frantically which put everyone into a frenzy. "What's going on? Charlie? Charlie!!" I yelled, trying to rush in but a couple cops who had been there held me back.

I watched helplessly as they shocked her to get her heart beating again, jumping each time her body lurched up from the electricity. They finally got her to breathe again but the doctors said something about getting the baby out, which made me panic even more.

"What's going on?!" I yelled as they pushed her past me. "Where are you taking her?!"

Thankfully one of the doctors stopped to talk to me.

"She was under water for over five minutes. The baby is in distress and we have to get her out as soon as possible if she has a chance of surviving. Once that is done they will do everything they can to save her, okay?" She said to me.

I nod slightly and as soon as they disappeared through the doors I just slumped to the floor, choking out a sob as I put my head in my hands. There was a chance that I could lose both of them tonight and it was something that I was not prepared for.


	25. Chapter 25

Harry's POV

Charlie's parents arrived with my mum a couple hours later and the moment I saw my mother I clung to her as sobs escaped my lips. She held me and let me cry until I finally calmed down enough to tell them what happened.

"The cops said that another car lost control and pushed her off the bridge... S-She went in... and she was under for five minutes before anyone got there to help her. T-They shocked her when I got here and they had to take the baby out. I I haven't heard from anyone. I don't know what's happening." My voice broke as I struggled to stay calm, putting my head back into my hands as I sat back down on the chair I was previously on.

"I'll find out what's happening." Charlie's father, James, said as he rushed off to find out which operating room she was in.

"I can't lose her, mum." I whimpered.

"I know, honey. I know." She said softly as she pulled my head into her chest and held me while I cried.

~.:o:.~

James returned after a while and told me that they had the baby up in the NICU and she would be okay. Hearing that was a huge relief, but my main focus was on Charlie at the moment. He explained that she had some injuries from the impact that were easily fixed, but the main issue was the fact that she hit her head and was under water for over five minutes. I could tell by the look on his face and by his wife's reaction that it wasn't good.

"We'll just have to wait and see... but there is a chance that she won't wake up." He said quietly, his own voice getting a bit shaky.

I fought back more tears of my own and shook my head.

"She's going to be fine. She'll pull through this. I know she will." I told them. "I need to see her. Do they have her out yet?"

"No. She's still in surgery, but I'll let you know when she gets put into a room." He told me.

I nod slightly then look up when I heard the doctor from earlier say my name.

"Mr. Styles. Would you like to see your daughter?" She asked me.

I nod and slowly get up, following her up to the NICU where they had her lying in an incubator. She was so tiny and I immediately teared up at the sight of her.

"She's beautiful." I whispered, gently putting my hand on the box.

"You can touch her if you like... She was a bit distressed when she came out, but we got her vitals back to normal and in a couple weeks she'll be able to go home." The doctor assured me.

I glanced over at her, feeling relieved when she said the baby would be okay. When I looked back at my daughter I gently put my hand into the incubator then brushed my finger against her cheek gently.

"Hi baby girl. I'm your daddy." I said with a sniffle. "You're so pretty just like your mummy. She's going to be so excited to meet you."

"Do you have a name for her?" The doctor asked after a moment.

I look up at her then back down at the baby, immediately knowing which name I wanted to give her. The one Charlie wanted.

"Rosalie... Rosalie May Styles." I answered, keeping my eyes on my precious Rose. It was the perfect name for her. We had to go through some thorns to see her beauty and I thought it was fitting given the situation.

I stayed with Rosie until my mum came to tell me that Charlie had been put into a room in the ICU.

"She's so precious." My mum said as she looked at her granddaughter.

"Yeah, she is....I need to see Charlie. You can stay here if you want. Rosie would love to meet her grandma." I said as I kissed my mum on the cheek then went down to see Charlie.

When I saw her my heart ached. She was hooked up to so many machines and her skin was still pale and cold to the touch, something I discovered as I slid my hand into hers. I let out a shaky breath and kissed her forehead.

"Hi, baby." I whispered, kissing her cheek a few times before finally pulling back to brush some hair away from her face. "I met our baby girl. She's so beautiful, just like you... You were right about her name. She definitely looks like a Rosie." I laughed a bit, sniffling as tears fell down my cheeks. 

I press her hand to my lips, placing a long kiss on it as I let out a small sob.

"I need you to wake up... I can't do this without you... Rosie needs her mum... and the dumb dog will go nuts without you.... I need you." I whispered. "Please..."

I put my head on the bed, not getting any response but I refused to give in and let her go. Not without a fight. I went through so much to finally get this happy and so did she... She didn't deserve this. She deserved to be happy. I just kept hoping that she would pull through this so we could bring Rosie home and be a happy family just like she always wanted. I couldn't live without her...


	26. Chapter 26

Harry's POV

It had been weeks since the accident and although Charlie was healing nicely there was still no signs of her waking up. I started to lose hope every day and the only thing that kept me going was seeing our baby girl getting stronger and becoming more awake. The doctor said I could finally hold her and take her out of that stupid box, which made me happy but also sad at the same time. Charlie should have been the first to hold her... She should have had a normal birth and held our baby girl after doing all the work.

I watched as the doctor carefully brought Rosie over to me and set her in my arms, now free of tubes and wires. She squirmed a little and fussed at first, but I gently rocked her which seemed to calm her down quite a bit. She was so tiny in my arms and I almost felt like I was going to crush her, but she had a strong grip on my finger which helped remind me that she was going to be okay.

"Hi princess. It feels good to get out of that box doesn't it?" I said to her as I kissed her nose, smiling softly as the corner of her mouth twitched up in a smile.

She was so precious and I knew that no matter what happened I would always be there for her and protect her. I would give my life for her, just like I would for Charlie. I still felt guilty about that night. I felt like I should have insisted on driving her or even told her not to go at all. There was so much that could have been done differently, but I was beginning to realize that no matter what I thought or wished would have happened it wouldn't change how things are now.

"What do you say, kiddo. Want to go see mummy?" I asked her as I carried her to the ICU where Charlie still laid in her bed.

Charlie had a bit more color in her face today, but at this point I gave up feeling hopeful over slight things like that after being told many times that there was still no change in her brain activity despite how much I had seen from her the past week. I saw her eyes twitch and her fingers a couple times, but the doctor said it was normal and would happen every once in a while. I sighed softly and walked over to gently sit beside her on the bed. 

"Rosie's here, baby. I finally got to hold her. She's so tiny. The doctor said I can take her home, but I don't want to leave just yet so we're going to move into your room for a little while. I think she wants her mummy." I said, tearing up a little as I gently placed Rosie on her chest so their cheeks were together.

I watched as our daughter seemed to snuggle closer to her, feeling my heart breaking as I wished she could just wake up and see how much our baby girl needed her. Rosie shifted a bit and let out a soft whimper. As I took her back I noticed that Charlie's finger twitched again, but I ignored it and got a bottle ready for Rosie so she could eat. I sat in the chair beside Charlie's bed and fed her, watching as she ate contently. After burping her she fell asleep on my shoulder and I took the chance to get some sleep as well, gently shifting her down so she was snuggled into my chest as I dozed off a little.

That became the routine for a few more days. I would put Rosie by Charlie for a while so she could be close to her mother and at least feel what it was like. I fed and changed her, playing with her from time to time. Eventually her parents came back and I was humming softly to Rosie as I walked around the room with her, frowning when I saw the looks on their faces.

"Harry... We think it's time..." Her mother said to me.

I stopped moving and shook my head.

"No... She needs more time. She's going to pull through." I argued.

"Harry, it's been almost a month. There have been no changes in her brain activity and I know she wouldn't want to be stuck like this for the rest of her life. It's no way to live." James said.

"She won't be like this for the rest of her life, James. You're not even giving her a chance!" My voice rose which made Rosie whimper a bit, but I was too pissed off to notice.

"You're not married to her so it's not your decision. Say your goodbyes because they're shutting them off tonight." He said.

"You son of a bitch! You're killing your daughter!" I yelled, my eyes watering as Rosie started crying from the loud noise. "Get out!"

Laura tried to talk to me but James pulled her out and I tried to soothe Rosie back to sleep, struggling to keep myself calm. I couldn't handle this. My mum came back from getting coffee and I just gave Rosie to her then rushed out of the room, running outside as I struggled to get a decent breath. I dropped to my knees and put my head in my hands, wheezing a bit as a panic attack hit. I had been getting them since the accident and this was the worst one yet.

"Harry? You alright?"

Jason rushed over, setting the flowers he got down on the sidewalk as he put his hand on my back.

"T They're going to kill her." I choked out, letting him hug me as I struggled to calm down.

It took me along while but I finally got my breathing back to normal, though I was still crying because I knew that if she didn't pull through by six o'clock tonight she was going to die and I wasn't ready for that. She still had so much ahead of her and it didn't seem fair that they were pulling the plug so soon.

"I know it doesn't seem like it, but it's going to be alright, Harry. You have to be strong for Rosie. She needs you." Jason said softly.

"She needs her mum." I said quietly as I wiped my cheeks. "I don't think I can live without her..."

"You can and you will. Even if you did try anything stupid like that you know damn well she would kick your ass for leaving Rosie as soon as you got there." He said, causing a weak laugh to fall from my lips.

I knew he was right, but I didn't want to think about going on with life and raising our daughter without her. Jason eventually got me to go back upstairs with him and I quietly apologized to my mum for rushing off, giving her and Rosie a kiss on the cheek before I went over to sit with Charlie. I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible before the time came.

"Charlie... If you're going to make some miracle happen you need to do it soon. Please, baby. Please wake up." I begged quietly as I kissed her hand, holding it close to me.

I stayed by her side for the rest of the day, leaving my mum to watch Rosie for me and keep her happy. I knew I should be with her, but I just couldn't leave Charlie's side. The clock struck six and I watched as her parents and the doctor stepped in. Her parents said their goodbyes then stepped back. I refused to leave her side, keeping her hand in mine as the doctor unhooked her IV and shut off the heart monitor.

"She'll stop breathing when I unhook this..." The doctor said to me as he left the breathing tube for last.

I simply nodded and stared at her sleeping face as he unhooked it, waiting for her chest to stop moving up and down now that there wasn't a machine breathing for her. However, her chest kept moving at the same pace, rising up and down with each breath she took. I sniffled a bit and looked up at him.

"Why isn't she stopping?" I asked him, seeing that he looked confused as well.

My gaze then shifted to her parents who were equally confused, but my attention was quickly diverted to my hand as I felt hers squeeze it. It was weak, but it was there and I looked at her face hoping for a miracle.

"Charlie? Baby, can you hear me?" I asked, cupping her cheek in my free hand as I watched for any sign of her waking up.

Just as I was about to give up hope I heard her choke on the tube that was in her throat and the doctor quickly got it out, a loud gasp coming from her as she took in a deep breath and coughed a bit. Seconds later her eyes slowly opened and she looked over at me with those big blue eyes that matched our daughter's. My eyes filled with tears as I stared back at her, wondering if this was just a dream.

"Charls?" I asked again, my voice breaking.

"Haz..." She whispered, her voice hoarse and quiet but loud enough for me to hear her.

I let out a sob of relief and leaned down to kiss her quickly and hugged her as tightly as I could without hurting her.

"Oh my god." I choked out, bringing her closer to me and kissing her a bunch of times.

"The baby..." She whispered as she put her hand on my arm to get my attention.

"Rosie is just fine. My mum has her. I'll go get her for you." I kiss her head, seeing the relief fall over her features after hearing that our baby was okay.

I stand up and glance at her parents who were shocked, simply shaking my head at them before going to find my mother. I wasn't sure if I could ever forgive them for what they did, but for the time being my focus was on Charlie and our daughter. I finally found my mum and after telling her Charlie was awake I took Rosie and brought her back to the room as the doctor was finishing checking her vitals. Her gaze immediately fell upon the bundle in my arms and I could see her eyes water a bit as I brought her over and gently placed our baby girl in her arms, helping her hold her because I knew she was still weak.

"She's beautiful." Charlie whispered, kissing Rosie's head gently and holding her close.

I smiled as I watched them, feeling so relieved that she was okay and finally holding our baby girl who seemed very happy to be in her mother's arms. I kiss Charlie's head gently and stay close to her as we looked at our daughter together, just like how it was supposed to be.


	27. Chapter 27

Charlie's POV

It was a few weeks before I finally got to go home and when we finally stepped foot into the house I let out a sigh of relief.

"Its so good to be home." I said as I turned to Harry who brought our little Rosie inside.

"Yeah it is... Its even better that I have both of you here with me." He said as he kissed my cheek then got Rosie out of the car seat.

"Let me hold her." I said to him.

"Charlie, you know the doctor said not to lift anything." He said sternly.

"I can hold my six and a half pound baby, Harry. I didn't get to hold her for weeks. Just let me have her." I argued.

He looked at me for a moment then sighed softly, knowing there was no use trying to argue with me because I was still pretty emotional. Just the other day I bawled for an hour because she smiled at me. He carefully handed her over and I held her as close as possible without hurting myself any more than I already was. My ribs were still pretty tender and I got some aches by holding her, but I ignored them and placed a soft kiss on her head before showing her around our house. After a very careful and slow trek up the stairs I got to the nursery and let her look around at everything though I knew she still couldn't quite see much yet.

"This is your room. You get it all to yourself." I said softly to her as I gently rocked her in my arms. "Daddy painted it just for you."

I looked down at her to see her starting to fall asleep already so once I was sure she was asleep I carefully laid her in the crib and covered her with the blanket then tucked the sides under the mattress pad so she could still be warm and snug without me having to worry about the blanket shifting and smothering her as she moved around. After a moment of watching her sleep I went into the master bathroom and ran myself a bath so I could finally wash up. I hadn't washed myself in a couple days because I just haven't had the energy so I decided to do it now. Once it was full I carefully tried to lift off my shirt but it hurt too much so I called for Harry who jogged up the stairs to my assistance right away.

"What is it, love?" He asked.

"Can you help?" I asked quietly, hating that I was so weak and useless.

He gave me a small smile and nodded, walking over to help me lift my shirt off my head and helping me undress. He kissed my forehead then helped me get into the tub and get comfortable.

"Do you need anything else? I could join you if you want." He said with a hopeful expression on his face.

"I just want to take one alone today." I said, feeling bad for turning him down but I just felt disgusting at the moment.

I was covered in healing bruises and cuts and my body still hadn't gotten rid of any pregnancy weight yet so that was causing a blow to my self confidence as well. I knew he just wanted to help me and be with me, but I just couldn't do it right now.

"Alright.. Call me if you need anything." He said as he left the bathroom, leaving the door cracked open so he could hear me if I called.

I laid my head back and let out a soft sigh as I thought about everything that had happened. I just felt exhausted. Especially lately with the nightmares I had been having. The memories of the crash had started coming back a few days ago and I kept thinking about waking up to water pouring into the car and screaming for help, terrified that I wasn't going to make it... but even more afraid for the baby that had been in my stomach. The more I thought about it the more real it became. I suddenly found myself back inside the car as the water rose up to my neck, slowly inching its way up until it was nearly covering my mouth. Tears fell down my cheeks as I gasped for the last bit of air I had left until I was completely under water.

Harry's POV

I brought all of our luggage upstairs and was just about to start putting a load of laundry in when I heard splashing and gasps coming from the bathroom. I immediately dropped the bundle of clothes I had in my arms and rushed in, seeing Charlie struggling to breathe as she sat up in the tub. I immediately got in with her and held her face in my hands, not caring that I was fully clothed.

"Charlie. Baby look at me!" I said as I forced her to face me. "You're okay. Just breathe. Breathe, baby."

I watched her as she struggled to take deep breaths, but she was slowly calming down and I finally saw the fear starting to leave her eyes. It was like she was in another place and it terrified me seeing her like that. When she finally calmed down she let out a small sob and leaned forward until her head was resting on my shoulder. I held her close and let out a small sigh of relief as I stroked her hair.

"You're okay. I've got you." I said softly, repeating it to her so she knew it was okay.

"I- I woke up in the car as it was going under... The water was coming up and I I couldn't breathe. I tried to get out-" She choked out, her body trembling at the memory and it absolutely killed me to know that she had to go through something so terrifying.

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry. I should have just gone with you." I said quietly as tears of my own started to form in my eyes as she cried into my chest.

I nearly lost both of them that night and there was no way in hell that I would ever make the same mistake twice.

~.:o:.~

THREE WEEKS LATER

"Harry, I don't want to be here." Charlie mumbled as we sat in the from room waiting to see a therapist that I had made an appointment for her to see.

"Charlie, you haven't slept in weeks since you got home. You need to talk to someone about this." I said as I looked over at her.

"I talk to you, Harry. Please just take me home." She begged, looking at me with her tired eyes.

She hasn't been sleeping much at all since we got home. The nightmares were keeping her up at night and I knew she blamed herself for what happened even though there was no way for any of us to know that she would be hit by a car coming home that night. I had just gotten myself to stop believing it was my fault that she got hurt, but now it was her turn. She needed to forgive herself and stop thinking that she was the reason our baby almost died.

"Just try for me. Please, baby. You can't keep going on like this. Rosie needs you at your best and right now you're not doing so good." I said to her as I held her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

She just looked away from me and pulled her hand away from mine, causing a slight sting to my heart. It had been like this for a while now. She wasn't really herself and I hoped that talking to this woman would help her otherwise I didn't know what we were going to do.

"Charlie Styles. I'm Sara. I'm ready for you now."

We both looked up and saw the woman who we were waiting to see standing before us. She looked like a nice older woman with blond hair and green eyes, dressed in casual clothes instead of the normal work attired most places would have.

"Can I go in with her?" I asked her.

"Normally I don't allow that, but since this is the first session I'll allow it just this once." She smiled softly before showing us to her office. She asked us to sit in the chairs across from hers and I could tell Charlie was nervous because she was messing with her engagement ring, a habit she had picked up since she got it.

"Now, would you tell me what's been going on?" She asked. "Start from the beginning." 

I could tell her question was directed at Charlie so I didn't say anything, but neither did she. She just looked down at her hands that were resting on her lap and I could tell she was struggling to hold things in. She wanted to talk about it, but she was just afraid of reliving it again.   
"Harry told me you two have a daughter. How old is she?" Sara asked, redirecting her question to somewhere else.

"She's almost three months old now." Charlie finally answered. "She's tiny still, but she's such a happy little thing."

A small smile appeared on her face as she spoke about our daughter who was with my mum at the moment and I couldn't help but feel relieved to see it. I hadn't seen her smile in a long time unless she was talking to Rosie. I watched as Sara got her to talk a little more about Rosie to get her more comfortable before finally asking about the accident which immediately changed Charlie's mood. She stared off into space as she thought about it and I could see her hand gripping onto the arm of the chair she was sitting in.

"Harry would you step out for a moment please?" Sara asked me calmly. 

I frowned and looked over at Charlie who was on the verge of tears and I leaned over and gave her a kiss on the head, reminding her that I would be right outside if she needed me before reluctantly stepping out of the room. It went on for a good forty five minutes until the two of them finally left the room and Charlie did something unexpected.... She hugged me. She only did that when I was trying to calm her down after a nightmare and even then she pulled away usually. I immediately wrapped my arms around her and held her close, looking over at Sara.

"I'll add her into my schedule. I want to see her at least twice a week and I'm going to write out a prescription for her to help her sleep." She explained to me.

I nodded and thanked her before looking down at Charlie who seemed like a scared child at the moment and I hated seeing her like this. I kissed her head and just held her as we waited for the papers and for the receptionist to get a schedule worked out for us.

"Let's go home, love." I said softly to Charlie who just nodded and kept close to me as we walked out of the building.

The ride to our house was quiet, but when we finally pulled into the driveway I looked over at her.

"What did she say to you?" I asked. "You haven't hugged me like that in a long time."

She stayed quiet for a moment before finally looking over at me.

"She said that I needed to stop thinking about what could have happened and start thinking about what's in front of me... otherwise I would lose you both." 

Her voice broke slightly as she spoke, her eyes watering a little as she finally realized how distant she had been from me lately.... even from Rosie at times. I reach over to gently wipe a tear from her face, watching as she tilted her head into my hand and brought one of her hands up to hold mine.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "You were right... I need help... I don't want to be a bad mum for Rosie or a distant fiance to you. We're supposed to get married soon.... I want to get better for you."

She kissed my palm and I leaned over to kiss her lips, taking in the feeling that I had missed so much the past couple months.

"I love you, Charlie. Whatever you need, I'll be here to help you through it. You're not doing this alone." I said softly.

I kissed her once more then pulled away and shut off the car.

"Come on. We have a baby waiting for us inside."


	28. Chapter 28

Harry's POV

It had been a couple months since Charlie had her first therapy appointment and she had started going three times a week, which seemed to help quite a bit. The first week was pretty rough, but she was slowly getting better. Her smile returned and she seemed much happier, which in turn made me happier. We finally got started on the wedding planning, trying to figure out where we wanted to have the wedding but it seemed pretty obvious that it was going to be in Holmes Chapel. We both loved it there and we met there so it seemed fitting that we have our wedding there as well.

"You want to have it at the same church as Jenna and Jason?" I asked her.

"Yeah. I've always loved it there. It's a beautiful building. I don't care if she had hers there." She shook her head then looked down at Rosie who was just finishing up eating from her breast. I watched as Charlie placed our daughter on her shoulder to burp her as if it was a normal thing, humming softly to her as the baby started fussing a bit while the gas bubbles started forming in her stomach. It still amazed me how I could fall in love with Charlie even more just by watching her do such a simple task. Each day it was like I was falling in love with her all over again and I couldn't get enough of the feeling.

"Okay then... I was meaning to ask you about the honeymoon. I know you want to wait until Rosie is a little older, but can I surprise you with the destination? There's a place that I've been wanting to take you for a long time and I want you to enjoy the surprise." I said as I bit my lip gently, not sure how she would feel about that.

"Sure." She answered with a soft smile.

I raised a brow, not quite expecting her to give in so quickly but I didn't bother arguing her decision. Maybe the therapy was working better than I thought. She seemed much more relaxed lately and less afraid of trying new things. It was nice seeing her like this because she had always been so hesitant as if she would get hurt or something. 

"Do you want me to take her?" I asked after a moment, seeing Rosie squirming a little in her arms.

Charlie handed her over and I smiled softly as I held her up above my head.

"Hello, my little princess." I cooed as I brought her down to give her a few kisses which caused the most adorable giggles to erupt from her lips.

"She's going to puke on you." Charlie said from beside me, a smile starting to form on her lips as she watched.

"No, she wo-" 

Just as I was speaking a bit of baby puke dropped onto my cheek and Charlie burst into giggles.

"I told you." She laughed, handing me the burp rag.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." I mumbled as I wiped it off then got the rest off Rosie's mouth. "You're lucky you didn't get it in daddy's mouth." I told our daughter as she just smiled innocently at me.

Just like her mother, I could never stay mad at her for more than a few seconds before my heart filled with joy and I kissed her chubby little cheek as her hands grabbed onto my head. After almost losing her I had become pretty protective over her and Charlie as well, cherishing each moment with both of them because I never knew when our last chance would be. My only hope was that Rosie grows up and makes a family of her own one day with a husband she could grow old with. An adorable yawn fell from her lips and she snuggled into my chest contently, falling asleep after just a few minutes. I smile softly and kiss her head, holding her close to me as I held her in my arms.

Charlie and I spent the rest of the day wedding planning, then throughout the week we went out to finish up some last minute touches until everything was ready to go. We just had one last thing to do and that was get Charlie's wedding dress. Of course she had a little trouble leaving Rosie to go with our mothers, my sister, and Jenna, but I assured her that we would both be waiting when she returned which seemed to soothe her a little. While she and the girls got their dresses, Jason and I stayed home to watch the babies. Their little boy, Nathan, was a couple months older than Rosie, but still just as adorable and the two loved each other. Right away when they first met she was smiling and giggling at him, something that I wasn't quite prepared for.

"Jenna was talking about how cute our kids would be if they ended up together." Jason chuckled.

"No way in hell is my daughter dating your son or any boys for that matter. I'm the only man she needs in her life." I huffed.

"I'm so glad I don't have a daughter for that very reason. I think I would go nuts." He chuckled and shook his head. "I feel for you, mate. All I have to do is tell Nate to keep his dick out of girls without condoms and permission. You have a whole other conversation ahead of you with Rosie."

"Don't remind me... And I have to deal with the whole emotional thing. If she's anything like Charlie I think I might just die." I joked. "But in all seriousness, I wouldn't trade her for the world. She's perfect."

I smiled softly as I looked over at my little girl as she squealed and lifted her head up, trying to reach for a toy which was just beyond her grasp. Of course that just pissed her off so she screamed at it and whined until I scooted it closer to her with my foot and she happily put it in her mouth to chew on it. 

"She kinda reminds me of Charlie when she was pregnant. She got so pissed at me a few times over small things then spent an hour crying about it because she felt bad for yelling at me." I chuckled.

"Jenna was the same way. She actually threatened a divorce when I forgot to take the garbage out once. I knew she didn't mean it but its funny how crazy pregnant women get." Jason laughed and shook his head.

"Or maybe our girls are just insane." I joked.

"You're damn right we are." 

I turned towards the door and was met by my fiancé as she walked over to give me a kiss as she stood behind where I sat on the couch.

"A good kind of insane though." I smiled and playfully pulled her over my shoulder until she was in my lap. She squealed at the initial action then giggled when she finally landed in my arms. I gave her another kiss, but this time I made sure that it was a little longer since I hadn't seen her all day.

"I missed you." I murmur against her lips, giving them one last kiss before pulling away and brushing some hair from her face. "Did you find your dress?"

"Mhm... And no I didn't bring it home. I gave it to your mum for safe keeping and so you wouldn't peek." She grinned.

"Oh come on. That's not fair." I pouted.

"It definitely is fair. I know you would try to look and that's more bad luck than we need. Me especially. So you're not allowed at your mums until after the wedding." She said.

"But that's two weeks away." I whined.

"You'll live. You've been away from her for months before so it should be no problem for you." She patted my cheek then pecked my lips before rolling off me so she could play with our daughter whose face immediately lit up at the sight of her mother.

I couldn't help but smile at how happy they were, hearing both of them giggle which was like heaven to me. In that moment I knew that my life couldn't be any more perfect.


	29. Chapter 29 - The End

Charlie's POV

The day of the wedding came faster than I expected, but I was more excited than nervous. I had dreamed about this day for years and the fact that it was actually happening was amazing. Of course being away from him the night before was hard, but at least I had Rosie to keep me company.

She was in such a good mood all morning so when we finally got ready for the wedding after her nap she didn't throw fits about getting dressed like she usually did. Just like her father, she hated wearing clothes and while Harry often walked around the house in his boxers she was usually just in her diaper. Thankfully she didn't mind wearing her dress today and in fact she seemed to like it which was pretty odd, but great for me since I didn't have to force her into it.

"Alright enough worrying about Rosie. You're the bride here. You need to get ready." Gemma said as she grabbed Rosie from the chair and took her out of the room.

I pouted a little as my baby was taken away from me, but I knew that I had to finish getting ready. Our mums walked in to help me and Jenna brought in the bouquets that she had put together for me. When everything was done I could barely recognize myself. Not long after the accident I was a mess with bags under my eyes from lack of sleep and I was thin and sickly looking. Now I was practically glowing with bright eyes and a smile on my face. I couldn't be happier and most of it was thanks to Harry for sticking with me through all of it and making sure I got the help I needed.

"Charlie?"

I turned to see my father standing there with a sad but proud look in his eyes. Harry had told me about what happened at the hospital and even though he had yet to forgive them, I did. There was no way to know if I would ever wake up and a month is a long time for anyone to wait. If I had been stuck there just lying in a bed with a machine keeping me alive it would have been no way to live and they understood that.

"I just... I know you've forgiven us, but I'm so sorry. If we had shut them off a week earlier like we wanted to then this wouldn't be happening right now. You wouldn't be an amazing mother or a beautiful bride about to marry the love of her life who protected her far better than I ever did..." He said with tears in his eyes.

I shake my head and walk over to give him a tight hug.

"But you didn't... and I'm here now. It's in the past, Dad. You've always told me not to hold onto it so now it's your turn to take your own advice. I love you and I know that you were just looking out for me. Harry will learn to understand that eventually, but you know how stubborn he can be." I laugh softly and kiss his cheek.

"Since when did you become the adult hmm?" My dad chuckled softly.

His lips touched my forehead and I smiled softly, taking it in for a moment longer until we finally headed down the hall to the doors of the chapel. As we walked in everyone stood to watch us, but my gaze was focused on Harry. He looked amazing standing at the end of the aisle and I could already feel my eyes watering with happiness. My father passed me off to him and I slid my fingers between his as our palms met, ready to just get this all over with.

Thankfully we had planned a short ceremony which only lasted around twenty minutes and when he finally said those words I felt Harry pull me close before I was dipped down. A surprised squeal left my lips and I giggled, returning the kiss eagerly as I felt his smile against my own. With one more long kiss we were finally husband and wife, something I had been waiting for since I was old enough to daydream about my future wedding and who I wanted it to be with.

At the reception I sat back and watched Harry dance with Rosie, holding her in his arms with one of his hands holding hers as he bounced her around to the music and danced with her. She was just full of giggles and smiles which he mirrored and it was amazing to watch. He was such an incredible father and I fell more in love with him every time I saw him interact with her. My life may have started out a little rough, but it grew into something amazing and I wouldn't change any of it for the world.

~.:Four Years Later:.~

"Where do you want this box, love?" 

I turned to my husband as he carried yet another moving box into our new house in Holmes Chapel. As much as we both loved London our hearts belonged here and with our growing family we needed more space anyway.

"Put that in Rosie's room." I told him after seeing what was inside of it.

"Alright, but by the time I get back you better have that sexy ass of yours in a chair." He winked and I playfully rolled my eyes as he lifted his foot to playfully tap my bum.

"Just go take it up." I laugh softly and shake my head, rubbing my swelled belly as I felt the kick of our second baby girl.

The front door swung open and I heard the laughter of our two other kids as they chased each other around. Rosie was four now and growing up to look more like Harry each day. She would definitely be a heart breaker when she grew up with those dimples and curly brown hair. Our two year old son followed close behind, loving to chase his big sister around ever since he learned how to walk. He looked more like me with bright blue eyes and chubby cheeks.

"Oliver, be careful, honey." I called to him when I saw him trip and fall, only to laugh and get right back up again to chase his sister. I smiled softly and finished unpacking the kitchen box, about to sit down when I felt a sharp pain in my stomach which I knew all too well. It didn't take me long to figure out what was happening because I knew that I was due any time now. When Harry came back down he paused in the doorway, seeing me leaning slightly forward as I gripped onto the counter with one hand while the other rested on my belly.

"Is it time?" He asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.

I just nodded and he smiled, walking over to kiss my cheek. He pulled out a chair for me to sit on to breathe and relax while he rounded up the kids and got them into the car along with the go bag that we already had packed and set out just in case. When he returned for me he helped me into the car before we headed to the hospital, dropping of the kids with his mother on the way.

Just like he did when I had Oliver he stood by my side every step of the way, encouraging me and whispering sweet words into my ear to help keep me calm. The second time around wasn't nearly as bad as the first so when our baby girl was finally placed in my arms I couldn't feel anything but pure joy. She looked to be a perfect mix of both of us and my heart swelled at the sight of her.

"Are we still keeping the name?" I asked Harry who was wiping away his own tears of happiness.

"Yeah... I think it suits her... Emma Marie Styles." He said as he brushed her cheek with his finger.

"It's perfect." I smiled, closing my eyes for a moment as his lips touched my temple. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He murmured, placing a soft kiss on my lips before our focus returned to our daughter.

Anne brought the kids a little while later and I smiled as they both curiously peered over at their baby sister. Oliver hadn't seen a baby yet so he was more excited and as Harry lifted him up onto the bed with me I could already see the love in his eyes.

"Mama, that Emma?" He asked.

"Yes, this is Emma. Do you want to hold her?" I asked him, smiling softly as he nodded eagerly.

We positioned him so I could help him hold her and once she was placed in his arms he held her so gently which made my heart melt. Rosie had been the same way with Olly and still is. I often catch her reading to him or just cuddling with him on the couch. Things would be no different with Emma around. Rosie crawled over and snuggled into me which I happily accepted, giving her a kiss on the head. She was my miracle baby and I still thanked whoever kept her alive and brought me back to be her mother. It was the greatest gift anyone could have ever given me and I lived out my days like they were my last, taking in the little things that most people looked past.

~.:One Year Later:.~

I held Olly close to me as all three kids laid in bed with Harry and me. They had begged to watch a movie with us so of course we couldn't say no, especially when they turned on the pouty faces which they no doubt learned from me and now I completely understood what Harry and my family went through on a daily basis. I didn't mind it though. I loved spending time as a family and there was nothing I enjoyed more than a cuddle from my babies.

"Mummy? Daddy? Will you sing to us?" I heard Rosie ask once the movie was over.

They were all sleepy and on the verge of sleeping, though each one of them fought it as much as they could. I looked over at Harry who had a soft smile on his face and he nodded.

"I know the perfect song." He said, starting to sing a familiar tune.

"Look at the stars... Look how they shine for you... and everything you do.... yeah they were all Yellow."


End file.
